Gordini Type 15S
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The Gordini Type 15S , also Simca-Gordini Type 15S , was a sports car prototype that was developed by Gordini in 1949 .
Development history and technology
The Gordini Type 15S was developed at a time when Amédée Gordini was still in close contact with Simca . The suffix S in the type designation meant sport and differentiated the sports car model from the Monoposto - Type 15 . Like all other Gordinis, the 15S was built as a Spider, but the Coupé variant is the only enclosed Gordini sports car.
This type of racing car had different engines, but they were all based on the engine block of the Gordini 4-cylinder in- line engine . The displacement varied from 1.1 to 2.3 liters. The car was a financial success for Gordini. From the beginning of production, chassis were sold to private teams and drivers.
Racing history
The Type 15S was also a successful sports car. In a total of 116 races, this Gordini type achieved 25 overall victories, eleven second and seven third places; there were also 15 class wins. The first race was in 1949 at the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race . Gordini reported two works cars, chassis 0017GCS and 0018GCS, for Robert Manzon / Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Maurice Trintignant / Pierre Veyron . Both vehicles retired in the race. The Czechoslovak private driver Zdeněk Treybal clinched the first race win at the 1949 Brno Grand Prix .
For many years, the 15S was the Gordini works team's emergency vehicle at the major international sports car races of the 1950s, where successes were consistently lacking. There were only cancellations at the 24 Hours of Le Mans . Victories have been made at other events. Robert Manzon won the chassis 0018GCS 1952 as a sports car race discharged Monaco Grand Prix and the 0016S Coupe du Salon in Montlhéry . Maurice Trintignant remained successful at the Roubaix Grand Prix and the Agen sports car race .
The most significant success was Robert Manzon's overall victory at the 1956 Pescara Grand Prix against strong competition.
