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Motorsport in Luxembourg, when didit started ?


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#1 Marcor

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Posted 22 February 2003 - 01:53

I have some infos about motorsport in the Grand Duchy in the 20's and the 30's but not before.

1922, hillclimb event at Heiderscheid organised by the AC de Luxembourg, 5 km, 40 starters. The rules of the race was copied on the Spa event, La Coupe de la Meuse. The winner was not specially the fastest but had to have the more point. Winner was Paul d'Aoust (Fiat 501 type sport de série, 2 L) and fastest was Jaans (Panhard Levassor 20 HP, 4.5 L class).

1923: another hillclimb event organised by the National AC, at Vianden, 5 km. Some Belgian drivers were invited to take part but ran outside the competition.

1924: same as 1923, but now the Belgians ran officially and won (Gustave Wilford driving his Overland).

also a Cyclecars race in a motorbike meeting, GP de l'Association Motor-Unioniste
17 August, 66 km, 5 starters.

1925: another hillclimb organised by the ACL, no foreign in the results. Don't know the venue.
...
A long break until the internation Hillclimb event at Echternacht, 13 August 1933 organised by The Nouveau Automobile Club du Luxembourg (New AC of Luxembourg), under the patronage of the RACB. 3 km. Very interesting entry list including in the racing car class:
Joseph Zigrand, Luxembourg, (M.G. 847 cc),
Ernst-Günther Burggaler (Bugatti T51A 1.5 L),
Constant Lauvaux (Bugatti 2.3 L),
Willy Longueville (Bugatti T35B 2.3 L),
Viglielmo Matozza (Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio),
Arthur Legat (Bugatti T37A 37355),
Paul Cocagne (Bugatti 2.3 L),
Jean Huart (Bugatti T37A)...
DNA: Edgar Markiewicz (Bugatti 2 L), Juan Zanelli (Alfa Romeo 2300 cc)

in the Sportscar class:
Albert Divo (Bugatti), Constant Knepper (Bugatti), ...

Results
Racing cars
1- Longueville, 145.596 km/h
2- Burggaler, 131.070 km/h
3- Legat, 123.58 km/h
...

Sportscars
1- Knepper, 130.120 km/h
2- Divo, 123.86 km/h
...

A long break

Sometimes The GP du Luxembourg was included in the International Schedule and then cancelled.

1939: GP du Centenaire, Neudorf circuit, near Luxembourg-City, International Sportscars race, 4 June, one of the most important motorsport event of the history of this little Country.

To be followed...

Is there a inhabitant of The Luxembourg among us ?

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#2 fines

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Posted 22 February 2003 - 10:39

Originally posted by Marcor
Is there a inhabitant of The Luxembourg among us ?

Not quite, but close... My hometown Bitburg is about 15 miles from the border, if I'd spit into the direction... well, I'd spit on the "Echternacher Straße", and this is my only contribution here: it's Echternach, not Echternacht :blush:

#3 Leif Snellman

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Posted 22 February 2003 - 10:55

Originally posted by Marcor
1939: GP du Centenaire, Neudorf circuit, near Luxembourg-City, International Sportscars race, 4 June, one of the most important motorsport event of the history of this little Country.

Results:
1 Wimille (Bugatti T57S45)
2 Biondetti (Alfa Romeo 412)
3 Levegh (Talbot T150C)
4 Mazaud (Delahaye 135CS)
5?E Villoresi (Alfa Romeo (8C 2990B)
? Zigrand (Bugatti)
? André (Bugatti)
? Christea (BMW 328)
DNF Farina (Alfa Romeo 412)
DNF Forestier (Talbot 150C)

#4 Vitesse2

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Posted 22 February 2003 - 12:36

A few additions, corrections and clarifications, Leif :)

Wimille's car was a special-bodied sports car, based on T59 components with an unblown 4.5 litre T50B engine. The T57S45 designation appears to be for the gearbox!

50 laps - 4.5km per lap

Villoresi's car was a 2900B (typo?)

Farina retired with engine trouble.

Zigrand's first name was Joseph - his car a Bugatti T44. He was a Luxembourgeois and finished 7th (sorry - no idea who was sixth!)

Source: Venables "Bugatti", which includes a picture of the car. He calls it a T59/50B sports car. Front end similar to the single-seater Wimille ran at La Turbie, but with lights and lower and flatter around the scuttle. Rear bodywork lower too, plus fairly substantial mudguards and a spare wheel mounted on the left.

#5 Marcor

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Posted 23 February 2003 - 00:21

Echternacht is a typing error, forget the "t". Echternach is ok, this is what I've got in my precious data.

GP du Centenaire, 4 July 1939, 10 starters
1- Jean-Pierre Wimille (Bugatti 59/50 B sport 8 cyl 4700 cc), 1h 44 m 43 s 1/5 (129.5 km/h)
2- Clemente Biondetti (Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B 12 cyl 4492 cc) + 1 lap.
3- Pierre "Levegh" (Talbot T150C 6 cyl 4 L) + 4 laps.
4- Emilio Villoresi (Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B ex MM 1938 spider 8 cyl) + 4 laps.
5- Robert Mazaud (Delahaye 135 CS 6 cyl 3600 cc) + 4 laps.
6- Peter Cristea (BMW 328 6 cyl 2 L) + 8 laps.
7- Joseph Zigrand (Bugatti 8 cyl 2300 cc) + 15 laps .

FL- Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B 4500 cc 12 cyl 4492 cc), 141km/h

DNF- Raoul Forestier (Talbot T150C 82932/90101 6 cyl 4 L)
DNF- Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B 12 cyl 4492 cc)
DNF- Ernest André (Bugatti 8 cyl 2300 cc)

There's confusion about who finished 4th or 5th, but all primary sources gave 4th Villoresi and 5th Mazaud.

#6 Hans Etzrodt

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Posted 23 February 2003 - 10:48

Marc - July 4, 1939 was a Tuesday. Was that perhaps a public holiday in Luxembourg? How about June 4, that was a Sunday. I never read about this event, not even in AUTOMOBIL-REVUE.

#7 Marcor

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Posted 23 February 2003 - 12:07

I think I have written my first post too quickly. 1939 GP du Centenaire date was indeed 4 June. Report of this race in (i.e) The French Sports Car Revolution (Anthony Blight)

#8 Vitesse2

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Posted 23 February 2003 - 12:38

Marc, I think you'll find that should be Petre, not Peter, Cristea :)

#9 Leif Snellman

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Posted 23 February 2003 - 16:29

Originally posted by Marcor
There's confusion about who finished 4th or 5th, but all primary sources gave 4th Villoresi and 5th Mazaud.

Thanks for the complete results. In Anthony Blight's "The French Sports car revolution" there is no end result but is says that Villoresi was falling back and was passed by Levegh and Mazaud. That's why I had put him fifth.

#10 Hans Etzrodt

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Posted 01 March 2003 - 21:24

Originally posted by Marcor
...1922, hillclimb event at Heiderscheid organised by the AC de Luxembourg, 5 km, 40 starters...

...1923: another hillclimb event organised by the National AC, at Vianden, 5 km...

...1924: same as 1923, but now the Belgians ran officially and won (Gustave Wilford driving his Overland)...

...Echternacht, 13 August 1933 organised by The Nouveau Automobile Club du Luxembourg (New AC of Luxembourg), under the patronage of the RACB. 3 km. Very interesting entry list including in the racing car class: ...

Marc - thank you very much for this information. Some of it will end up in my list of Mountain Climb Winners. :D