1936 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1936 24 Hours of Le Mans was originally planned to be the 14th Grand Prix of Endurance to be held on 14 and 15 June 1936. However, France was in the middle of the turmoil and civil unrest sweeping over Europe. A general strike across the country in the wake of the recent electoral victory of the Popular Front had only been resolved days before scrutineering was due to start. In response to the dominance of the German teams in grand prix racing, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) had chosen to run their Grand Prix to a sports-car formula, which would in turn be eligible to run at Le Mans. Owing to the strikes, many of the teams had been unable to prepare their cars sufficiently, and even such matters as getting fuel, transportation or fuel for entrants and spectators would be difficult.

1936 24 Hours of Le Mans
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Index: Races | Winners

Therefore, at the beginning of June, the ACO organisers postponed the race. However, at the end of the month, being unable to arrange a suitable alternative date later in the year with the motorsport governing body (the AIACR), the event was cancelled.

A very competitive field of 58 cars had been filed prior to the cancellation. It included new French works teams from Talbot, Delahaye and Delage to take on the proven privateers driving Alfa Romeo, Lagonda and Bugatti cars.

Le Mans circuit in 1936

Regulations

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The AIACR had introduced the new 750 kg Grand Prix Formula in 1934. It had taken a year, but the state-sponsored German teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union now dominated racing. The formerly pre-eminent teams of Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Bugatti had tried to compete but were quite out-classed. After two years with no success, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) decided not to hold the French Grand Prix to the AIACR formula. That meant, of course, that it was no longer part of the European Championship, but in a period of growing international tensions, the ACF wanted to return French national pride in their motorsport.[1] Their answer was to run the Grand Prix to its own, new regulations – open to two-seater, open-top cars matching the manufacturers' public purchase catalogues. There were no limits placed on engine-capacity nor weight, however supercharging was prohibited. At least 20 had to have been built by January 1, 1936, or in the process of being built.[1]

This was strongly supported by French motor-industry and followed a similar ban on supercharged cars by the British RAC for the 1934 International Tourist Trophy.[1] The Le Mans race was scheduled two weeks before the French Grand Prix and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) promptly ratified that ACF-regulation cars would be given entry. They did choose to keep the racing-classes from the previous year. They also allowed superchargers, but raised the equivalency calculation of capacity from x1.4 to x1.6.[1]

Entries

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The changes by the ACF in turn provided the incentive for probably the strongest Le Mans entry list to date. This meant that French cars once again had the very real prospect of outright victory. A dozen cars came from the ACF regulations – from Delahaye, Delage and Talbot-Lago. The new Bugatti was not ready though. Of the 58 cars, fully 30 could be classed as works, or works-supported, entries, representing 13 manufacturers.[2] It also saw the entry of Adler, only the second German manufacturer to enter Le Mans. From the previous year's race, there were sixteen cars entering for the Coupe Bienniale.[3]

Category Entries Classes
Large-sized engines 23 over 3-litre
Medium-sized engines 10 1.5 to 3-litre
Small-sized engines 25 up to 1.5-litre
Total entrants 58

Official entry list

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List taken from Quentin Spurring's book, officially licensed by the ACO.[4] It references the ACO archives which had a provisional numbering by an official. Normally sorted by engine capacity, there are several cars out of the regular sequence that would have been corrected for the final race entry list.[2]

No. Class Team Drivers Chassis Engine Biennial
Entry
1 4.0+ *  /  F.J. McEvoy
(private entrant)
 /  Frederick McEvoy Mercedes-Benz 540K Mercedes-Benz 5.4L S8
supercharged
2 4.0+ *   G. Nancy
(private entrant)
  Georges Nancy
. Pehache
Bugatti Type 50 Sports Bugatti 5.0L S8
supercharged
23 4.0+ *   R. Labric
(private entrant)
  Roger Labric Bugatti Type 50 Sports Bugatti 5.0L S8
supercharged
34 4.0+ *   "Jean Renaldi"
(private entrant)
  "Jean Renaldi" (André Carré) Bugatti Type 50 Sports Bugatti 5.0L S8
supercharged
3 4.0+   Arthur W. Fox   Brian Lewis, Baron Essendon
  Tim Rose-Richards
Lagonda M45 Rapide Meadows 4.4L S6 B
4 5.0   Arthur W. Fox   Goldie Gardner
  Freddy Clifford
Lagonda M45 Rapide Meadows 4.4L S6
5 4.0+   E. Hall
(private entrant)
  Eddie Hall Bentley TT 4.5 Bentley 4.3L S6
6 4.0   Automobiles Talbot-Lago   René Dreyfus Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L S6
7 4.0   Automobiles Talbot-Lago   André Morel
  Jim Bradley
Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L S6
8 4.0   P. Louis-Dreyfus
(private entrant)
  "Heldé" (Pierre Louis-Dreyfus) Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L S6 B
9 3.0   L. Chinetti
(private entrant)
  Luigi Chinetti
  Raymond Sommer
Alfa Romeo 8C-2900 A Alfa Romeo 2.9L S8
10 4.0 *   Viscomte P. Merlin
(private entrant)
  Viscomte Pierre Merlin Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 LM Alfa Romeo 2.3L S8
supercharged
11 4.0 *   J. Chancerelle
(private entrant)
  J. Chancerelle Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 LM Alfa Romeo 2.3L S8
supercharged
12 4.0  /  L. O'Reilly Schell
(private entrant)
 /  Lucy O'Reilly Schell
  René Carrière
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6
14 4.0   L. Villeneuve
(private entrant)
  Louis Villeneuve
  André Vagniez
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 B
15 4.0   "Michel Paris"
(private entrant)
  "Michel Paris" (Henri Toulouse)
  Marcel Mongin
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 B
16 4.0   Société des Automobiles
Delahaye
  . Dhôme
  Albert Perrot
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6
18 4.0   Société des Automobiles
Delahaye
  Albert Divo
  Robert Girod
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6
19 4.0   Écurie Jacques Menier
(private entrant)
  Philippe Maillard-Brune
  Charles Druck
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 B
20 4.0   D. Porthault
(private entrant)
  Daniel Porthault
  René Marie
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6
21 4.0   R. Le Bègue
(private entrant)
  Réné Le Bègue
  Jean Danne
Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6
22 4.0   E. Chaboud
(private entrant)
  Eugène Chaboud
  Jean Trémoulet
Delahaye 138 Spéciale Delahaye 3.6L S6
- 4.0   Earl Howe
(private entrant)
  Francis Curzon, Earl Howe Bugatti Type 57T Bugatti 3.3L S8
24 3.0   R. Kippeurt
(private entrant)
  René Kippeurt Bugatti Type 44 Bugatti 3.0L S8
25 4.0   Société Nouvelle des
Automobiles Delage
  Henri Fretet
  Robert Laly
Delage D6-80 Delage 3.2L S6
- 4.0   Société Nouvelle des
Automobiles Delage
Delage D6-80 Delage 3.2L S6
26 2.0   J.C. Noël
(private entrant)
  Charles Brackenbury
  Pat Fairfield
Aston Martin Speed Aston Martin 1967cc S4 B
27 2.0   Aston Martin Ltd   Sammy Davis
  Bill Everitt
Aston Martin Speed Aston Martin 1967cc S4
28 2.0   G. Pfister
(private entrant)
  Guy Pfister
  Jean-Pierre Rault
Citroën Traction Avant 11CV Citroën 1911cc S4
29 2.0 *   E. Hertzberger
(private entrant)
  Eddie Hertzberger MG K3 Magnette MG 1087cc S4
supercharged
43 2.0 *   Capt. G.E.T. Eyston MG K3 Magnette MG 1087cc S4
supercharged
B
30 2.0   Mme A.-C. Rose-Itier
(private entrant)
  Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier
 ? . Boetzkes
Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4
sidevalve
B
31 2.0   Adlerwerke   Rudolf Sauerwein
  Peter Graf Orssich
Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4
sidevalve
32 2.0   Adlerwerke   Wilhelm "Max", Prinz zu
Schaumburg-Lippe
 ? Edouard Legré
Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4
sidevalve
33 2.0   Adlerwerke   Otto Löhr
  Paul von Guillaume
Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4
sidevalve
35 1.5   Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd   "Tim Davies" (Dudley Folland)
  Alfred Fane
Frazer Nash Gough 1496cc S4
36 1.5   Riley (Coventry) Ltd   Jean Sébilleau
  Cyril Paul
Riley TT Sprite Riley 1496cc S4 B
37 1.5   Riley (Coventry) Ltd   Alex “Bill” van der Becke
  Edgar Maclure
Riley TT Sprite Riley 1496cc S4
38 1.5   Riley (Coventry) Ltd
  J. Trévoux
(private entrant)
  Jean Trévoux
  Charles Dobson
Riley TT Sprite Riley 1496cc S4
39 1.5   Aston Martin Ltd   . Headlam
  Boris Harcourt-Wood
Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4
40 1.5   Aston Martin Ltd   Dr Dudley Benjafield
  Jim Elwes
Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4
41 1.5   Aston Martin Ltd   Mortimer Morris-Goodall Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4
42 1.5   C.T. Thomas
(private entrant)
Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4 B
44 1.5   M.K.H. Bilney
(private entrant)
  Maurice Bilney
  Joan Richmond
Ford 10 Model CX Special Ford 1172cc S4
45 750   Amédée Gordini SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4
46 750   Amédée Gordini SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4
47 750   Amédée Gordini SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4
48 750   M. Moly
(private entrant)
SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4
49 750   Clément-Auguste Martin
(private entrant)
  Clément-Auguste Martin SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4
50 750   J.-É. Vernet
(private entrant)
  Just-Émile Vernet
  Gaston Tramer
SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4
51 1.0   Team Autosports
  F.S. Barnes
(private entrant)
  Norman Black
  Tommy Wisdom
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 973cc S4 B
52 1.0   Team Autosports
  R. Eccles
(private entrant)
  Roy Eccles
  Marjorie Eccles
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 973cc S4 B
53 1.0   Team Autosports
  M. Collier
(private entrant)
  Michael Collier
  Alf Langley
Singer Nine Le Mans Singer 973cc S4
54 1.0   A.R. Marsh
(private entrant)
  Arthur Marsh
  Trevor Guest
Singer Nine Le Mans Singer 973cc S4
55 1.0   R. Gaillard
(private entrant)
  Raymond Gaillard
  . Corbell
Singer Nine Le Mans Singer 973cc S4 B
56 750   Austin Motor Co.   Pat Driscoll
  Charles Goodacre
Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 B
57 750   Austin Motor Co.   Elsie Wisdom
  Kay Petre
Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4
58 750   Austin Motor Co.   Charles Dodson
  Donald Barnes
Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4
59 750   J. Carr
(private entrant)
  John Carr
  John Barbour
Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 B
60 750   R. Marsh
(private entrant)
Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 B
Sources:[3][5][6][7][8]
  • Note *: equivalent class for supercharging, with x1.6 modifier to engine capacity.[1]

Disruption and cancellation

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Throughout the mid-1930s, France had been undergoing major political upheaval – as had much of Europe, as opinions became more polarised to fascist and communist groups. Unemployment, inflation, class inequality and military friction with Germany all contributed to the violent unrest.[9] In the general election in May, it was the popular Front coalition of leftist parties that swept into power under Léon Blum. The second mass general strike occurred on 26 May to pressure the new government to pass sweeping reforms. Over two million workers from all over the country, including from the automobile factories, walked off the job for better work conditions. The strikes spread until five million workers were involved.[10][11][12] However, there were no major riots. Ettore Bugatti was shut out of his own factory at Molsheim and the new car for the ACF could not be readied in time for Le Mans.[11][13] At the occupied Renault plant there were 25,000 strikers who were kept in high spirits by a fine Senegalese men's choir.[11][10]

By the time the government was able to negotiate a settlement it was 7 June. This was only three days before the nominal start of race-scrutineering. Faced with fuel shortages and the prospect that many entrants, and spectators, would be unable to get transport, accommodation or even food for the event, the ACO therefore announced that the race would be postponed.[9] There was also the issue of having sufficient workers to prepare the public roads used for the circuit and getting officials and marshals to run the event.

They approached the AIACR with several rescheduled dates – the following weekend, and the first weekend of August. However, both weekends were vetoed by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) who had their own "international" (albeit minor) events on at the same times. The AIACR was swayed by the British group and blocked the submissions. Without any other potential options, the ACO officially cancelled the Le Mans race on 23 June.[9] The French Grand Prix was held just five days later, run to the new formula. Raymond Sommer and Jean-Pierre Wimille won the 8-hour race with the new Bugatti Type 57G ahead of four Delahayes.[9][14][13] In mid-July, Spain erupted in civil war, and abruptly motorsport was not important for an anxious and nervous Europe.[13] The new French works teams would have to wait a year to test themselves against the proven experience of the Alfa Romeo and Lagonda privateers.

References

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Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e Spurring 2017, p.224
  2. ^ a b Spurring 2017, p.223
  3. ^ a b Spurring 2017, p.222
  4. ^ Spurring 2017, p.2
  5. ^ "Le Mans 24 Hours 1936 - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  6. ^ "Le Mans History". www.lemans-history.com. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  7. ^ "World Sports Racing Prototypes". www.wsrp.cz. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  8. ^ "Formula 2". www.formula2.net. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  9. ^ a b c d Spurring 2017, p.225
  10. ^ a b Clarke 1998, pp.148: Motor Jun16 1936
  11. ^ a b c Clausager 1982, p.64
  12. ^ Laban 2001, p.83
  13. ^ a b c "Radio Le Mans". www.radiolemans.co. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  14. ^ "World Sports Racing Prototypes". www.wsrp.cz. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
Bibliography
  • Clarke, R.M. - editor (1998) Le Mans ‘The Bentley & Alfa Years 1923-1939’ Cobham, Surrey: Brooklands Books ISBN 1-85520-465-7
  • Clausager, Anders (1982) Le Mans London: Arthur Barker Ltd ISBN 0-213-16846-4
  • Laban, Brian (2001) Le Mans 24 Hours London: Virgin Books ISBN 1-85227-971-0
  • Spurring, Quentin (2017) Le Mans 1930-39 Sherbourne, Dorset: Evro Publishing ISBN 978-1-91050-513-7
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  • Racing Sports Cars – Le Mans 24 Hours 1936 entries, results, technical detail. Retrieved 20 Sep 2022
  • Le Mans History – entries, results incl. photos, hourly positions. Retrieved 20 Sep 2022
  • World Sports Racing Prototypes – results, reserve entries & chassis numbers. Retrieved 20 Sep 2022
  • Radio Le Mans – Race article and review by Charles Dressing. Retrieved 20 Sep 2022
  • Unique Cars & Parts – results & reserve entries. Retrieved 20 Sep 2022
  • Formula 2 – Le Mans results & reserve entries. Retrieved 20 Sep 2022