1939 24 Hours of Le Mans

Summary

The 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans 1939) was the 16th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, on 17 and 18 June 1939. The 1939 programme cover depicted the raising of six nations' flags: France, Italy, Great Britain (its civil Red Ensign), Belgium, Germany, and the United States.[1]

1939 24 Hours of Le Mans
Previous: 1938 Next: 1949
Index: Races | Winners
Le Mans in 1939

By June 1939, the outbreak of World War II was less than three months away. The following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans was originally planned for June 1940, but due to the invasion of France in May the race was called off. Endurance racing would not return to Le Mans until 1949, four years after V-E day ended World War II in Europe.

Official results edit

Class winners are denoted with bold.

Pos Class No. Team Drivers Chassis Engine Tyre Laps Distance/Retired
1 8.0 1   Jean-Pierre Wimille   Jean-Pierre Wimille
  Pierre Veyron
Bugatti Type 57C Tank Bugatti 3.3L Supercharged I8 D 249 3,346.106 km (2,079.174 mi)
2 3.0 21   Ecurie Walter Watney   Louis Gérard
  Georges Monneret
Delage D6-3L Delage 3.0L I6 245 +4 laps
3 5.0 5   Lagonda Ltd.   Arthur Dobson
  Charles Brackenbury
Lagonda V12 Lagonda 4.5L V12 239 +10 laps
4 5.0 6   Lord Selsdon   Lord Selsdon
  Lord William Waleran
Lagonda V12 Lagonda 4.5L V12 239 +10 laps
5 2.0 26   BMW   Max zu Schaumburg-Lippe
  Fritz Hans Wenscher
BMW 328 Touring Coupe BMW 2.0L I6 236 +13 laps
6 5.0 12   Louis Villeneuve   Louis Villeneuve
  René Biolay
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 235 +14 laps
7 2.0 27   BMW   Ralph Röese
  Paul Heinemann
BMW 328 BMW 2.0L I6 230 +19 laps
8 5.0 20   Count Heyden   R.R.C. Rob Walker
  Ian Connell
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 224 +25 laps
9 2.0 28   BMW   Willi Breim
  Rudolf Scholtz
BMW 328 BMW 2.0L I6 220 +29 laps
10 1.1 39   Gordini   Amédée Gordini
  José Scaron
Simca Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 213 +36 laps
11 5.0 14   Joseph Chotard   Joseph Chotard
  Jacques Seylair
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 202 +47 laps
12 2.0 29   Robert Peverell Hichens   Robert P. Hichens
  Mortimer Morris-Goodall
Aston Martin Speed Model Aston Martin 2.0L I4 199 +50 laps
13 1.1 41   Gordini   Guy Lapchin
  Charles Plantivaux
Simca Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 195 +54 laps
14 1.5 32   Ecurie Lapin Blanc   Peter Clark
  Marcus Chambers
HRG 1500 Singer 1.5L I4 192 +57 laps
15 1.1 37   Mrs. Majorie Fawcett   Geoffrey White
  C.M. Anthony
Morgan 4/4 Coventry Climax 1.1L I4 184 +65 laps
16 1.5 34   Just-Emile Vernet   Just-Emile Vernet
  Carl de Bodard
Riley Sprite TT Pourtout Riley 1.5L I4 180 +69 laps
70% of winner's race distance: 175 laps
17 1.1 38   Victor Camerano   Victor Camerano
  Henri Louveau
Simca Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 163
18 1.1 45   Arthur W. Jones   Arthur W. Jones
  Gordon Wilkins
Singer Le Mans Replica Singer 1.0L I4 154
19 750 48   Gordini   Adrien Alin
  Albert Alin
Simca Cinq Fiat 0.6L I4 148
20 750 49   Gordini   Maurice Aimé
  Albert Leduc
Simca Cinq Fiat 0.6L I4 147
DNF 3.0 25   Raymond Sommer   Raymond Sommer
  Prince Bira
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500SS Alfa Romeo 2.4L I6 173 Engine
DNF 5.0 18   Ecuria Francia   Marcel Contet
  Robert Brunet
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 171 Suspension
DNF 1.5 31   Victor Polledry   Victor Polledry
  R. Robert
Aston Martin 1½ Ulster Aston Martin 1.5L I4 155
DNF 5.0 3   Luigi Chinetti   Luigi Chinetti
  Donald Mathieson
Talbot T26 Talbot 4.5L I6 154 Contact
DNF 3.0 22   Ecurie Walter Watney   Armand Hug
  Roger Loyer
Delage D6-3L Delage 3.0L I6 152 Contact
DNF 5.0 15   Robert Mazaud   Robert Mazaud
  Marcel Mongin
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 115 Fire
DNF 1.1 44   Archie Scott   Archie Scott
  Tommy Wisdom
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 1.0L I4 105 Dirty fuel
DNF 5.0 9   Luigi Chinetti   René Le Begue
  Pierre Levegh
Talbot-Lago SS Talbot 4.0L I6 102 Ignition
DNF 5.0 19   Ecurie Francia   Eugène Chaboud
  Yves Giraud-Cabantous
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 99
DNF 5.0 8   T.A.S.O. Mathieson   Philippe de Massa
  Norbert Jean Mahé
Talbot 150SS Figoni Talbot 4.0L I6 88
DNF 5.0 7   Luigi Chinetti   André Morel
  Jim Bradley
Talbot T26 Talbot 4.5L I6 88
DNF 5.0 10   Jean Trémoulet   Jean Trémoulet
  Raoul Forestier
Talbot-Lago SS Talbot 4.0L i6 68
DNF 1.1 36   Miles Collier   Miles Collier
  Lewis Welch
MG PA Midget MG 0.8L I4 63
DNF 5.0 16   Ecurie Francia   Joseph Paul
  Jean Trévoux
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 62
DNF 5.0 11   André Bellecroix   André Bellecroix
  Gaston Serraud
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 50 Contact
DNF 1.1 43   Just-Emile Vernet   Robert Cayeux
  Gaston Tramar
Simca Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 50
DNF 5.0 4   Luigi Chinetti   Pierre Louis-Dreyfus
  Antoine Schumann
Talbot T26 Talbot 4.5L I6 45
DNF 1.1 47   Claude Bonneau   Claude Bonneau
  Max Mathieu
MG PB Midget MG 1.0L I4 40 Carbuerator
DNF 1.1 40   Gordini   Jean Breillet
  Albert Debille
Simca Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 29 Contact
DNF 1.1 42   Mme Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier   Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier
  Suzanne Largeot
Simca Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 26 Contact
DNF 1.5 30   Adler   Otto Löhr
  Paul von Guilleaume
Adler Trumpf Adler 1.5L I4 6 Piston
DNF 1.1 46   Jacques Savoye   Jacques Savoye
  Pierre Savoye
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica
"Savoye Special"
Singer 1.0L I4 4
DNS 1.5   Adler   Fritz Huschke von Hanstein
  Karkmann
Adler Trumpf Adler 1.5L I4 - -
Sources:[2][3]

Statistics edit

  • Fastest Lap: #15 Robert Mazaud – 5:12.1
  • Distance: 3,346.106 km (2,079.174 mi)[3]
  • Average Speed: 139.781 km/h (86.856 mph)

Trophy winners edit

  • 14th Rudge-Whitworth Biennial Cup – #39 Gordini
  • Index of Performance – #39 Gordini

References edit

  1. ^ "1939 Le Mans Programme Cover". Pinterest. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Le Mans 24 Hours 1939 - Race Results - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b Press Association Foreign Special (11 June 1939). "Le Mans 24-Hour Motor Race: French Team Wins". The Guardian. p. 11. Retrieved 10 February 2018 – via Newspapers.com.