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#1 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 15:18

In this new thread, we can examine the wole production of the late Jean Rondeau.

I believe a total of 18 chassis was built

1976 : Inaltera (2 chassis)
1977 : Inaltera (1 chassis)
1978 : Rondeau M378 (1 chassis)
1979 : Rondeau M379 (2 chassis)
1980 : Rondeau M379 B (1 chassis)
1981 : Rondeau M379 C (2 chassis)
1982 : Rondeau M382 (7 chassis)
1983 : Rondeau M482 (2 chassis)

We begin by the Inaltera of 1976 and a pic take for the first test at Paul Ricard track in april 1976

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#2 Hieronymus

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 17:47

Gerard, who was the test driver? J-P Jaussaud??

#3 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 17:48

In 1976, Jean Rondeau and his team built 3 chassis :

They was called "Inaltéra" and not Rondeau because all the budget came from a french firm, Inaltéra who sponsored a car for the first time (and also the last time).

Inaltéra-Ford 01 for the track test
Inaltéra-Ford 02 and 03 for Le Mans race

Here is the built of the very first space frame chassis

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#4 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 17:55

It was Jean-Pierre Beltoise at the wheel for this first test in race condition, April 14th.

Jean-Pierre Jaussaud do some laps with a camera inboard for a promotional film.

#5 Hieronymus

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 18:10

I once read, if my memory serves me right, that the first Inalteras were built in only 5 months...from paper to the circuit.

#6 dwall

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 18:16

surely one M482 was built in 1982

Rondeau M482

#7 dretceterini

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 18:22

Inaltéra was a French home wallpaper and paint company, as far as I am aware.

Does anyone have a photo of the Rondeau that looks like it has a shirt draped over it, from Le Mans (not sure what year)...if so, could you please post it?

#8 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 18:59

The decision of Inaltéra was take at the end of october 1975 and the first car was tested at Le Mas du Clos track 1976, march 9th : a little more than 4 months !!

#9 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 19:02

dwall,

You are right : it's the first chassis M482-01

#10 Rainer Nyberg

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 19:36

According to Ian Briggs, the single M378 was converted to a M379.
Not sure though if it counts as one of the two M379 cars?

#11 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 19:59

Rainer,

I believe that 2 M379 chassis was built in 1979 for the Group 6, and the old M378 still in GTP version was destroyed in an accident

#12 rdrcr

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 20:01

One of the very cool privateer stories in motorsports. I had the thrill of seeing Monsieur Rondeau and his team win Le Mans in 1980. Needless to say, the crowd went nuts! (I've got pics of the cars in action and will post them once scanned). A real shame he met such an unfortunate end on the road...

Locally, we have Phil Schmidt and his meticulously prepared Rondeau M382-02.

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Seen here in an early evening shot at California Speedway.

#13 fines

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 20:17

Originally posted by dretceterini
Inaltéra was a French home wallpaper and paint company, as far as I am aware.

Yes, wallpaper rings a bell. Looking at the pic of the chassis, that to me looks like a real DFV, not a mock-up, while they're still welding up the tubes! :confused:

#14 rdrcr

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 20:43

Because I didn't know when I'd get 'round to it... I grabbed this photo that hangs in my home office - It's the sister car of J-P. Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo - they finished 3rd IIRC.

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This photo was taken right at the start - over the throng of fans. A light rain had just fallen and the light wasn't the best but made for some interesting shots. (At the time, I really couldn't see what I was aiming at, but fortunately several turned out like this one).

To my eye, this Rondeau is one of most beautiful prototypes ever built - it just looked "right".

#15 Simon Arron

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 21:19

Originally posted by Gerard Gamand
In this new thread, we can examine the wole production of the late Jean Rondeau.

I believe a total of 18 chassis was built

1976 : Inaltera (2 chassis)
1977 : Inaltera (1 chassis)
1978 : Rondeau M378 (1 chassis)
1979 : Rondeau M379 (2 chassis)
1980 : Rondeau M379 B (1 chassis)
1981 : Rondeau M379 C (2 chassis)
1982 : Rondeau M382 (7 chassis)
1983 : Rondeau M482 (2 chassis)

...plus the M584/M585 Formula Fords of 1984/85.

I was at Le Mans in 1978 to see the first eponymous Rondeau (caught a bus from Manchester and bunked off school for a couple of days, with tacit parental approval) and later visited the Rondeau factory (January 1984, if memory serves). I was there to see the first batch of Formula Fords being assembled, ahead of the inaugural French FF1600 Championship.

I spent a few minutes chatting to the man himself: he seemed slightly perplexed by all the Ford-driven media fuss, but he came across as very down to earth - a nice guy. Somewhere, I still have the Ford Sierra XR4i solar calculator that was handed out as the media junket...

#16 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 22:46

From another website, but it is from the man who try to bring 17 Rondaeu to Le Mans in 2010

19 Rondeau ont été construites." was build

Combien en reste-t-il actuellement ?

"Il en reste 17. En 1979, la voiture de Rondeau/Haran a été prise dans une collision au Tertre Rouge. Elle a néanmoins pu revenir "en crabe" jusqu'au stand, mais le châssis était complètement tordu et définitivement inutilisable. En 1981, le regretté Jean-Louis Lafosse s'est tué dans les Hunaudières et la voiture a été détruite." 2 were destroyed , the M378/379 001 at LM in 1979 and M379 004 (fatal crash at LM 1981)

Où se trouvent actuellement les voitures ? Where are they now ?

Les Inaltera : châssis 001 en Suisse - châssis 002 en France, racheté par le Conseil Général - châssis 003 en Suisse

Rondeau M379 : châssis 002 aux USA - châssis 003 en France - châssis 005 en France (en cours de restauration) - châssis 006 en France

Rondeau M382 : châssis 001 en France - châssis 002 aux USA - châssis 003 en France (non roulant actuelement) - châssis 004 en Italie - châssis 005 en France - châssis 006 aux USA - châssis 007 en Italie

Rondeau M482 : châssis 001 (propriété de Jean-Philippe Grand, exposé au Musée de l'Automobile) - châssis 002 en France (Technoparc) - châssis 003 : il était en Alllemagne, a été vendu il ya peu, est recherché.

"15 modèles sont donc encore en état de marche." 15 are still working (2 are have to be restore)

#17 pilota

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 22:49

I was at Le Mans in the early 80s with a copy of Rondeau's book, and managed to have it signed by Rondeau, Jassaud and others. Now a prized possession.
Nathan

#18 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 22:58

all Rondeau at LeMans + 2 M382 wich did not run at Le Mans

AN VOITURE CHASSIS CODE N° CAT CONCURRENT
1976  Inaltera GTP 001 I001 N°1 GTP   Inaltera
1976  Inaltera GTP 002 I002 N°2 GTP   Inaltera
1977  Inaltera GTP 001 I001 N°88 GTP   Inaltera
1977  Inaltera GR 6 002 I002 N°2 6   Inaltera
1977  Inaltera GR 6 003 I003 N°1 6   Inaltera
1978  Rondeau M 378 001 8001 N°72 GTP   Jean Rondeau SKF
1978  Inaltera LM 77 001 I001 N°71 GTP   André Chevalley Racing
1979  Rondeau M 379 001 8001 N°55 GTP   Jean Rondeau - Merlin Plage
1979  Rondeau M 379 002 9002 N°5 6   Jean Rondeau - VSD Canon
1979  Rondeau M 379 003 9003 N°4 6   Jean Rondeau - ITT Oceanic
1980  Rondeau M 379 B 002 9002 N°17 GTP   Jean Rondeau
1980  Rondeau M 379 B 003 9003 N°16 6   Jean Rondeau
1980  Rondeau M 379 B 004 9004 N°15 6   Jean Rondeau
1981  Rondeau M 379 C 002 9002 N°8 GTP   Jean Rondeau -L'Automobile
1981  Rondeau M 379 C 003 9003 N°7 GTP   Jean Rondeau
1981  Rondeau M 379 C 004 9004 N°25 6   Jean Rondeau Calberson
1981  Rondeau M 379 C 005 9005 N°24 6   Jean Rondeau Otis
1981  Rondeau M 379 C 006 9006 N°26 6   Jean Rondeau Oceanic
1982  Rondeau M 382 003 3003 N°38 C   Bussi Team
1982  Rondeau M 382 004 3004 N°24 C   Automobiles Jean Rondeau
1982  Rondeau M 382 005 3005 N°11 C   Jean Rondeau - Malardeau
1982  Rondeau M 382 006 3006 N°12 C   Jean Rondeau - Otis
1982  Rondeau M 379 C 003 9003 N°25 C   Primagaz
1982  Rondeau M 379 C 005 9005 N°26 C   Jacky Haran
1983  Rondeau M 382 003 3003 N°29 C   Christian Bussi
1983  Rondeau M 382 005 3005 N°30 C   Primagaz
1983  Rondeau M 382 007 3007 N°72 C   Communauté Pays de Loire
1983  Rondeau M 482 001 4001 N°26 C   Ford Concessionnaires France
1983  Rondeau M 482 002 4002 N°24 C   Ford Concessionnaires France
1983  Rondeau M 482 003 4003 N°25 C   Ford Concessionnaires France
1983  Rondeau M 379 C 002 9002 N°28 C   Jean Rondeau - Malardeau
1984  Rondeau M 382 003 3003 N°45 C2   Christian Bussi
1984  Rondeau M 382 005 3005 N°50 C   Pierre Yver
1984  Rondeau M 482 001 4001 N°37 C   Mc Cormack et Dodge
1984  Rondeau M 379 C 006 9006 N°93 C2   Graff Racing
1985  Rondeau M 382 003 3003 N°39 C   Bussi Racing
1985  Rondeau M 382 005 3005 N°31 C   Primagaz
1985  Rondeau M 482 001 4001 N°67 C   Jean Philippe Grand
1985  Rondeau M 482 003 4003 N°46 C2   Bussi Racing
1985  Rondeau M 379 C 006 9006 N°104 C2   Ecurie Blanchet Locatop
1986  Rondeau M 382 003 3003 N°45 C   Patrick Oudet Vetir Racing
1986  Rondeau M 482 001 4001 N°47 C   Graff Racing
1986  Rondeau M 379 C 006 9006 N°102 C2   Lucien Rossiaud
1987  Rondeau M 482 001 4001 N°40 C   Graff Racing
1988  Rondeau M 379 C 006 9006 N°151 C2   Pierre Alain Lombardi
Rondeau M 382 001 3001 n'a jamais roulé au 24H n'a jamais roulé au 24H
Rondeau M 382 002 3002 n'a jamais roulé au 24H n'a jamais roulé au 24H

#19 Bonde

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Posted 31 October 2007 - 23:46

I'm hugely impressed if they really did manage to design and build the first car in such a short timespan. It makes me wonder how much 'unsolicited' design work had been done prior to the time of the decision to go ahead, and/or how many proprietary bits were on the car. Does anybody know how big Rondeau's staff was at the time?

Either way, the achievements of the past are made all the more impressive when one considers that Rondeau probably had no computer access, let alone 3D CAD-CAM, at the time...Makes the achievements of us later mere CAD-equipped mortals pale somewhat by comparison...

As to the aesthetics of Rondeau's cars? Well, whatever takes your fancy. I always thought they looked short, tall and dumpy, with a HUGE glass-house and tiny wheels halfway underneath the car. They did have that "soft, rounded French aero look" though, didn't they? Was Choulet involved? At least the height of the cabin was partly Group C rules-driven - one metre minimum to the top of the windshield, IIRC, although the driver appears to sit very upright. Still, anything is prettyer than a current Daytona Prototype...

And thanks to Gerard for setting yet another very interesting thread in motion - Gerard is fast becoming a Master Thread Opener in my book! :up:

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#20 rdmotorsport

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Posted 01 November 2007 - 09:59

Beautiful "jelly mould" styling and some of the later undertrays were mind boggling.

Rodney Dodson.

#21 Honza

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Posted 01 November 2007 - 11:29

Here is Inaltera 1976, but on the sticker at the top of the car is Le Mans 1977.
I shoot that at the Le Mans in 2004.

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sorry for poor quality, light was bad and my camera too :)

#22 Honza

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Posted 01 November 2007 - 11:59

1981 Rondeau M379 Oceanic

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#23 Honza

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Posted 01 November 2007 - 12:19

1983 Rondeau M382

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somewhere i have pictures to white Rondeau, it was at the right from the entrance, but momentally i can´t find photos.

#24 jcbc3

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Posted 01 November 2007 - 12:35

Slightly OT:

I was late to the sportscar scene and didn't follow it during the late seventies and early eighties. But I remember the head line in a magazine reading: "David beat Goliath", when Rondeau won the World Championship. This was a monthly magazine, so next month they ran the head line: "Goliath beat David" in even bigger typeface. It was of course sad that Porsche got away with that one, but I thought it pretty neat from the magazine editor.

#25 Dingo

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Posted 01 November 2007 - 12:52

A few photos of the 1983 M482 at the Le Mans museum...

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#26 Jager

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Posted 01 November 2007 - 13:32

There is a short 8 second clip of the fatal 1981 crash of Jean-Louis Lafosse’s Rondeau at Le Mans on U-Tube. It's rather graphic and I deliberated whether to post it here, but decided in the end that if you want to find the clip it isn't that hard.

#27 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 02 November 2007 - 10:07

so sorry it is in french (but Rondeau IS french :clap: ) But some interseting pics
http://site.voila.fr/assojeanrondeau/

They try to bring 17 Rondeau in LM 2010

#28 Phigr7

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Posted 02 November 2007 - 12:35

Here're some pics of the cars during the wednesday's practices

1981
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1983
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#29 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 08 November 2007 - 09:24

Thanks Amicalemans for all this details


This lovely Rondeau M382 is for sale :

http://site.voila.fr/assojeanrondeau/

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#30 Jager

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Posted 12 November 2007 - 12:22

Thought I'd add a picture of my own collection of Rondeau "Le Mans" cars from the 1976 Inaltera to the 1981 M379B :

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#31 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 12 November 2007 - 12:43

just to add that it is not true that Rondeau was the first car ever named at Le Mans with a sponsor name;

This first one could be Monopole during the fifties, or Howmet in 1968 or Duckhams in 1972.

i am trying to make a chart with picture, chassis by chassis, about Rondeau at Le Mans. thanks to publish here every photo of Rondeau you own.

#32 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 11 December 2007 - 16:55

hi just to say that i spoke with somebody who try to make the Rondeau brand back at Le Mans before 2010 !!!

dont know much about who and how...

#33 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 11 December 2007 - 17:25

Jean Rondeau don't look so happy with the Rondeau 382C. We are in 1982.

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#34 T54

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Posted 13 December 2007 - 22:39

Bonsoir Gerard,
I was the Rondeau distributor for the USA and sold the two M382 cars to Golden Eagle Racing and Bercher Racing there before I had a different with the autocratic Rondeau before/during/after the Daytona 24-hour in 1982.
I do have a pretty huge file of documents, pictures, articles and never-published info about these interesting and fast cars. I eventually was able to drive M379-002 at the Monterey Historics if I recall in 1996. Out-accelerating the Porsche 935's on the straight bits was interesting, diving inside them in tight stuff revealing. These cars were ultra-efficient and well thought out, and no surprise at all that they did so well especially in 1980-81.
If there is any interest, I can begin scanning the pictures, wind-tunnel tests, articles and inner documents here, a few at a time.
I am sometimes in touch with the Amicale Rondeau to which I was able to provide some wanted information. Two thick "sales" books were made by the Rondeau staff (probably by Philippe Beloou), I retain one, I do not know if the other has survived.
You tell me and I will start as my time allows.
Regards,

T54

#35 Bonde

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 00:14

If there is any interest...


There definitely is, T54! :up:

#36 David M. Kane

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 00:41

T54:

you've got my attention!

#37 T54

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 00:41

I will begin tomorrow to scan and post pictures and below is the American part of the story as I recall it.

It began in 1980 when I was contacted to become the importer for the US since I already was importing the Stand 21 racing clothing and some racing wheels also made in France. By early 1981, Jean Rondeau made a trip to the US with his girlfriend to see what the market was like and I showed him around. We signed a contract and began working on promoting and importing the then new M382, that did not even exist yet. We flew to Midland and purchased a Chevy engine at Chaparral cars inc. because at that time they were the best money could buy. The engine was sent to le Mans to build an installation kit for the M382. After that I arranged the purchase of various Hilborn parts including mechanical fuel pumps, as well as that of Trucklites taillights and other specialty parts. During the trip, I noted that Jean Rondeau, who had health problems with kidney stones, was having hissy fits and serious temper issues about frankly, unimportant details, to me anyway. I was a bit uneasy with this, but decided to ignore it since my job was to be of marketing, and I would not have to have direct contact with him that often anyway.

I rounded two customers and three more good prospects and we took some deposits on a car that had not turned a wheel yet. I flew to France with these two customers and we went to le Mans where Rondeau had arranged for an M379 test on the short Bugatti track. I had quite an adventure with my Renault R18 rental car when close to le Mans and while flat-out on the freeway, a steering link broke and I found myself careening across the divider, on the roof and against traffic, with a truck stopping pretty close...

Avis got me another car and we arrived to the Rondeau shop where the local press was taking pictures of the "visiteurs Americains". We were all given rides in the yellow "Oceanic" car driven by Henri Pescarolo. It was very uncomfortable but it was obvious that the car was very good and quite easy to manage. I had my personal doubts about the low power of the Cosworth DFL versus the twin-turbo Porsche 935's but I was wrong, the M379 could easily reach 180 before the Tertre Rouge, to my utmost terror (I HATE to be a passenger!), and there was plenty of ooomph left, so the 210-215MPH claim was sustainable. And proven if one considers the 1-3 and 2-3 placing in 1980 and 1981. You don't beat the Porsches by going slower than they did.

Meanwhile the 382 was being built and a few months later, ready for a 24-hour test at Daytona that I helped organise and direct. Our drivers were our customers Bill Koll and one of his driver Skeeter McKitterick plus Sam Posey and Lyn St James. Belcher was observing, Rondeau did not drive. The test went fine at a good pace until 2AM when there was so much ice on the banking that we had to stop for a couple of hours and resumed at about 4.30AM. Everything went fine and the test was successfully completed with no mechanical incident. The car went back to France to be prepared for the 24 Hours, and I sold the second car to Gary Belcher as planned.

This is when things began to get a bit funny. It appeared that, unbeknown to me, Jean Rondeau had also sold the car to... another team! So when I arrived early in the week at Daytona, I was faced with the task of figuring out who owned the second car, and this went nearly into a legal fight with talks of attorneys and marshals seizing the car... I had to use all my diplomatic talents (and I don't have that much of it!) to sort things out. At the end of the day, the Belcher camp won but now we had a situation where the two teams (Golden Eagle and Belcher) were at war with each other and were pitting at opposite ends of the long pit row. I also noted a certain favoritism of Rondeau towards the Golden Eagle team, a great way to attract new customers I guess.
So for the full 24 hours, I walked and ran more miles than a good marathonian... really good if you need to lose weight. I probably do now, I did not at the time!

Run by the very competent Jim Bell, the Belcher car was driven by Gary himself, Danny Sullivan and a young Atlantic driver (forgot his name right now) who promptly over-revved the engine during practice and damaged a valve. No spare engine was available. The Cossies are strong engine but even nursing it, it expired after 18 hours. What a waste.
The Golden Eagle car ran well and was in second place at midnight right behind and in the same lap as the JPL 935 of John Paul Sr. and Jr.
That is, until McKitterick at the wheel did not pay enough attention to the low-fuel light and neglected to set the reserve switch that was making sure that the Lucas injection metering unit did not run dry. And of course it did, instantly seizing up, the car simply stopping at the other end of the track from lack of fuel while still carrying about 5 gallons. And that was it. What a disaster!

After the race, Jean Rondeau had one of his fits and I since I had HAD it by then, I had a pretty strong talk with him and quit on the spot because I was not about working in such insane (for me anyway) conditions. While all the Rondeau employees were the nicest, most talented and kindest people, I know that I am going to disappoint some here, but Jean was simply an elitist with a bad temper, going into screaming sessions that I simply was not going to put up with. It might be the French way, but not for me, thank you very much. His girlfriend, Ms. Brosse, went to see me in my hotel and sweet-talked me into staying and helping until they could find a person to replace me. I accepted, but this never happened.

I helped the Golden Eagle team to get their Chevy engine conversion, took care of the supply of spare parts and pretty much gave up on pursuing the sale of any other cars. I had simply lost my appetite for the company.

Regardless, the cars were brilliant but the ground-effect cars were knocking at the door and that year, the Lola T600 became the thing to have. The best the Golden Eagle team was able to accomplish was a 3rd place if I recall correctly. The M482 was going to correct that but it was never sorted out, then Rondeau got killed in the stupidest of circumstances.

However in Europe, the M382 won at Monza driven by Georgio Francia, did well at le Mans and elsewhere. I feel that Rondeau won the world championship of Makes in 1982, and that Porsche stole it from them by adding points from an obscure placing by a modified 911 turbo that was wrongly thrown in the prototype class in the German leg of the championship because of some non-GT modifs, and the 3 points it garnered were enough to just edge Rondeau by one or two points if I recall correctly.
I think that Porsche lacked the graciousness they should have shown there, but that's another story.

In the USA, Belcher sold his car that was later modified with a Chevy powerplant by Jim Bell and run by a south American team at the Miami Grand Prix a year later (the year of the deluge...).

That was pretty much the last I saw of a Rondeau racing car until 1996 when I was offered to drive 379-02 at Monterey. It was a great ride and lots of fun until the brake seals that needed replacing sucked too much air and left me with no brakes.

Tomorrow I will begin posting pictures from the many I have.

T54




#38 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 08:01

What an amazing story T54 :clap: thanks a lot

#39 rdrcr

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 17:00

Thanks Phil - that's an interesting recollection of an era when I was close to the action. Your story adds great depth to my appreciation of the time surrounding the man and his cars. Thanks again for the insights.

That was pretty much the last I saw of a Rondeau racing car until 1996 when I was offered to drive 379-02 at Monterey. It was a great ride and lots of fun until the brake seals that needed replacing sucked too much air and left me with no brakes.



Would the car you are speaking of, be the Rondeau that was around N.B. for a while? I saw an M379 in the Le Point livery (IIRC) at Bruce Strauss’ shop around ‘95/’96 when I was having them restore a road car. When I asked about it, the head-wrench said, he didn’t know if it was the ’80 Le Mans winner but, “… the car may be for sale for the right price.” Figuring it was out of my league, I never inquired further…

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#40 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 17:07

I'm back after two days without internet.

Wonderful T54 !! And many thanks.

It's a great pleasure to have your comments. Please go on...

#41 T54

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 17:49

Well, I feel a bit stupid. I thought that the files of documents were at my office and it turns out that they were still at my home, so this will have to wait another day, sorry!

As far as the le Mans winner, there is a controversy about which chassis it is. MY opinion is that the car in the USA is the right one, but financial reasons MAY have caused the company to sell another chassis as the actual car at an auction in Paris a few years back. Frankly, I do not have enough evidence to say one way or the other but there are distinct details in 379-02 that appear to match with period pictures and would confirm it as the "right" car.
I am sure that others will argue.
The car was indeed in Costa Mesa and was being worked on at the shop you mention. I do not know who owns it now.

#42 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 14 December 2007 - 20:18

I think 002 was Belga car in Le Mans 80...
003 is well known (winner) and is still in France

#43 T54

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Posted 15 December 2007 - 17:36

That's where the confusion is! I got the files and will begin scanning and posting today. :)

#44 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 15 December 2007 - 17:44

003 ends its career at at Le Mans under Primagaz colour... but IF Rondeau had changed dataplate before, in fact it will be difficult to know the thruth... :)

anyway T54, i thnik you now thierry Rondel : http://site.voila.fr/assojeanrondeau/

#45 T54

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Posted 15 December 2007 - 19:02

Yes, we have been corresponding. I have begun scanning and hope to put pictures up later on today. :)

#46 Muzza

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Posted 15 December 2007 - 21:46

Originally posted by Gerard Gamand
In 1976, Jean Rondeau and his team built 3 chassis :

They was called "Inaltéra" and not Rondeau because all the budget came from a french firm, Inaltéra who sponsored a car for the first time (and also the last time).

Inaltéra-Ford 01 for the track test
Inaltéra-Ford 02 and 03 for Le Mans race

[...]



My apologies for the pedantic comment, but wasn't the name Inaltera, without an acute diacritic above the e? The pictures in this thread seem to confirm that.

The official 1980 24 Heures du Mans book (ISBN 2-903356-03-3) contains a timeline from Jean Rondeau's and his team au Mans from 1968 until 1980 (pages 143 and 144). There is also additional (and pretty interesting) information on this subject in the 1981, 1984 and 1985 books. The 1981 edition includes a list of chassis built; unfortunately my collection missed the 1982 and 1983 books. I would gladly scan these books and send the images by e-mail to those interested (for copyright reasons I will not post them at TNF).

Cheers,


Sal / Muzza

#47 T54

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Posted 15 December 2007 - 22:18

There were two books in French about the Rondeau history and I fortunately have both. I will extrapolate later about the history of the Inaltera (with or sans accent... :) ) and the person who spent the company's money and why it stopped after two years. What happened is that the Franco-Belgian wallpaper company was simply sold to someone else and the new owners had little taste for auto racing.

#48 Gerard Gamand

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Posted 16 December 2007 - 06:15

You are right Muzza...

The correct spelling is "Inaltera" !

#49 AMICALEMANS

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Posted 16 December 2007 - 08:06

Sorry just to remind you that there were three Inaltera at LM in 1976 : 2 on the track and one for spare in the paddock : it was 003 wearing the T1 number.

AN VOITURE CHASSIS CODE N° CAT CONCURRENT
1976 Inaltera GTP 001 I001 N°1 GTP Inaltera
1976 Inaltera GTP 002 I002 N°2 GTP Inaltera
1977 Inaltera GTP 001 I001 N°88 GTP Inaltera
1977 Inaltera GR 6 002 I002 N°2 6 Inaltera
1977 Inaltera GR 6 003 I003 N°1 6 Inaltera
and under Chevalley racing colours :
1978 Inaltera LM 77 001 I001 N°71 GTP André Chevalley Racing


#50 gerard BARATHIEU

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Posted 16 December 2007 - 16:47

Posted Image

in waiting of the pics of T54 ,the RONDEAU in US