1937 24 Hours of Le Mans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1937 24 Hours of Le Mans
Previous: 1936 Next: 1938
Index: Races | Winners
Le Mans in 1937

The 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 14th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 19 and 20 June 1937.

This race was marred by a massive 6-car accident at Maison Blanche which claimed the lives of 2 drivers. On the eighth lap of the race, the inexperienced French amateur driver René Kippeurt lost control of his Bugatti T44 and it rolled several times, coming to rest in the middle of the road. German Fritz Roth, who closely followed, lost control of his BMW 328 #30, went off of the road and somersaulted. Kippeurt's body was thrown clear from his car, and was lying about 100 metres from the wreck. In an attempt to avoid Roth's car, Briton Pat Fairfield crashed into Kippeurt's Bugatti. Fairfield's car was subsequently rammed by the Delahaye 135CS of Jean Trémoulet which in turn was hit by the Talbot T150C driven by an Argentine count who raced under the pseudonym "Raph", and by the Riley TT Sprite of Raoul Forestier. An Adler driven by an unspecified German driver, was also involved in the accident. Kippeurt was killed instantly, Fairfield died in a hospital 2 days later and Trémoulet was injured, as was Raph.

Official results[]

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
1 5.0 2 France Roger Labric France Jean-Pierre Wimille
France Robert Benoist
Bugatti Type 57G Tank Bugatti 3.3L I8 243
2 5.0 14 France Joseph Paul France Joseph Paul
France Marcel Mongin
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 236
3 5.0 10 France Ecurie Bleue France René Dreyfus
France Henri Stoffel
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 231
4 3.0 19 France Société R.V. France Jacques de Valence de Minardiere
France Louis Gérard
Delage D6-70 Delage 3.0L I6 215
5 1.5 37 United Kingdom J.M. Skeffington United Kingdom J.M. Skeffington
United Kingdom R.C. Murton-Neale
Aston Martin 1½ Ulster Aston Martin 1.5L I4 205
6 2.0 33 Germany Adler Germany Peter Graff Orssich
Germany Rudolf Sauerwein
Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1.7L I4 205
7 2.0 26 France Émile Darl'mat France Jean Pujol
France Marcel Contet
Darl'mat DS Peugeot 2.0L I4 203
8 2.0 25 France Émile Darl'mat France Charles de Cortanze
France Maurice Serre
Darl'mat DS Peugeot 2.0L I4 203
9 2.0 34 Germany Adler Germany Otto Löhr
Germany Paul von Guilleaume
Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1.7L I4 202
10 2.0 27 France Émile Darl'mat France Daniel Porthault
France Louis Rigal
Darl'mat DS Peugeot 2.0L I4 197
11 2.0 31 United Kingdom C.T. Thomas United Kingdom Mortimer Morris-Goodall
United Kingdom Robert P. Hichens
Aston Martin Speed Model Aston Martin 2.0L I4 193
12 1.1 48 France Just-Emile Vernet France Just-Emile Vernet
France Suzanne Largeot
Simca-Fiat 6CV Fiat 1.0L I4 171
13 1.5 36 United Kingdom A.C. Scott United Kingdom Archie Scott
United Kingdom Ted Halford
HRG 1500 Le Mans Meadows 1.5L I4 163
14 1.1 42 United Kingdom M.K.H. Bilney United Kingdom M.K.H. Bilney
Australia Joan Richmond
Ford Ten GB Ford 1.1L I4 161
15 1.1 49 France H. Lesbros France Dimitri Calaraseano
France H. Lesbros
Adler Trumpf Junior Adler 1.0L I4 160
16 1.1 54 United Kingdom Capt. G.E.T. Eyston United Kingdom Dorothy Stanley-Turner
United Kingdom Joan Riddell
MG PB Midget MG 0.9L I4 154
17 750 59 France Gordini France Jean Viale
France Albert Alin
Simca-Fiat Cinq Fiat 0.6L I4 145

Did not finish[]

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
18 5.0 11 France Ecurie Bleue France
France René Carriére
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 193
19 1.1 41 France Yves Giraud-Cabantous France Yves Giraud-Cabantous
France Charles Rigoulot
Chenard et Walcker Chenard et Walcker 1.1L I4 151
20 5.0 9 France Louis Villeneuve France Louis Villeneuve
France André Vagniez
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 147
21 1.1 46 France Gordini France Amédée Gordini
France Philippe Maillard-Brune
Simca-Fiat Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 137
22 2.0 32 Netherlands Eddie Hertzberger Netherlands Eddie Hertzberger
France Albert Debille
Aston Martin Speed Model Aston Martin 2.0L I4 136
23 5.0 1 France Roger Labric France Roger Labric
France Pierre Veyron
Bugatti Type 57G Tank Bugatti 3.3L I8 130
24 1.1 50 United Kingdom R.H. Eccles United Kingdom Mrs. Marjorie Eccles
United Kingdom Freddie de Clifford
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 1.0L I4 121
25 5.0 8 France André Parguel France André Parguel
France Robert Brunet
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 100
26 5.0 18 France Raymond de Saugé Destrez France Raymond de Saugé Destrez
Spain Genaro Léoz Abad
Bugatti Type 57S Bugatti 3.3L I8 99
27 1.1 53 France Jacques Savoye France Jacques Savoye
France Pierre Pichard
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica "Savoye Special" Singer 1.0L I4 93
28 1.1 52 United Kingdom Team Autosports United Kingdom G.H. Boughton
United Kingdom F.H. Lye
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 1.0L I4 91
29 750 58 France Gordini France Adrien Alin
Italy Athos Querzola
Simca-Fiat Cinq Fiat 0.6L I4 77
30 750 57 United Kingdom Austin United Kingdom Charles Dodson
United Kingdom Bert Hadley
Austin 7 Austin 0.7L I4 74
31 750 55 United Kingdom R. Marsh Canada Kay Petre
United Kingdom G. Mangan
Austin 7 Austin 0.7L I4 72
32 1.1 51 United Kingdom Team Autosports United Kingdom Norman Black
United Kingdom John Donald Barnes
Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 1.0L I4 72
33 1.1 45 France Gordini France Jacques Blot
France Henri Ferrand
Simca-Fiat Huit Fiat 1.1L I4 55
34 2.0 29 United Kingdom Frazer Nash United Kingdom Harold John Aldington
United Kingdom A.F.P. Fane
Frazer Nash-BMW 328 BMW 2.0L I6 43
35 1.5 35 France Mme Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier France Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier
Germany Fritz Huschke von Hanstein
Adler Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1.5L I4 40
36 5.0 15 France Jacques Seylair France Jacques Seylair
France Paul Bénazet
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 36
37 750 56 United Kingdom John Carr United Kingdom Charles Goodacre
United Kingdom Dennis Buckley
Austin 7 Austin 0.7L I4 32
38 2.0 40 France Yves Giraud-Cabantous France Charles Cotet
France Charles Roux
Chenard et Walcker Chenard et Walcker 1.8L Supercharged I4 32
39 5.0 3 United Kingdom Arthur W. Fox United Kingdom Johnny Hindmarsh
United Kingdom Charles Brackenbury
Lagonda LG45 Meadows 4.5L I6 30
40 1.5 39 France Ecurie Eudel France Jean Trévoux
France Guy Lapchin
Riley Sprite TT Riley 1.5L I4 11
41 5.0 4 France Raymond Sommer France Raymond Sommer
Italy Giovanni Battista Guidotti
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A Spider Alfa Romeo 2.9L Supercharged I8 11
42 5.0 12 France France
France Jean Trémoulet
Delahaye 135CS Delahaye 3.6L I6 9
43 5.0 7 Greece André M. Embiricos Greece Nicholas S. Embiricos
Argentina Raphaël Béthenod de las Casas
Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L I6 9
44 1.5 38 France Ecurie Eudel France Raoul Forestier
Switzerland Roger Caron
Riley Sprite TT Riley 1.5L I4 8
45 2.0 30 Germany BMW Germany Fritz Roth
Germany Uli Richter
BMW 328 BMW 2.0L I6 8
46 2.0 28 United Kingdom David Murray United Kingdom David Murray
United Kingdom Pat Fairfield
Frazer Nash-BMW 328 BMW 2.0L I6 8
47 3.0 20 France René Kippeurt France René Kippeurt
France René Poulain
Bugatti Type 44 Bugatti 3.0L I8 8
48 5.0 21 Italy Luigi Chinetti Italy Luigi Chinetti
Monaco Louis Chiron
Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L I6 7
49 1.1 44 France Gordini France Marino Zanardi
France Angelo Molinari
Simca-Fiat 508 S Ballila Fiat 1.0L I4 ?

Statistics[]

  • Fastest Lap – #2 Roger Labric – 5:13.0
  • Distance – 3287.938 km
  • Average Speed – 136.997 km/h

Trophy Winners[]

  • 12th Rudge-Whitworth Biennial Cup – #31 C.T. Thomas
  • Index of Performance – #2 Roger Labric
Retrieved from ""