27 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

This is one of my photos from Reims in 1998. It is the time-keepers 'hut' position in line with the start/finish line.

Simple question; does anyone know who Andre Lambert is/was?

[Barry Boor]

Don't tell me there is finally a racing-related question that no-one can answer. My grip on reality is failing fast.......

[jarama]

twelve hours without an answer...

[Marcor]

There are two recent books about Reims-Gueux, but unfortunately I haven't got it !! It's in French and one is called "Reims, Champagne et passion", by Dameron-Deraw and Melin (290 FF, 25 £) and the other was written by my compatriot Jean-Paul Delsaux (nearly same price)...

[Gary Grant]

All there is on the Internet (http://perso.wanadoo...ms/histoire.htm) is the info:-
"En 1937, le pavillon de chronométrage, dit André Lambert, est reconstruit en béton"

- which I think is just something about it being rebuilt out of concrete, but my French isn't what it was and the translation services on the Internet are a bit suspect....

I'm amazed that no-one has found an answer to this - the first time I've seen this happen on TNF and I've been coming here for 6 months. Come on chaps - don't shatter my illusions that you are all knowing about motorsport!

[FLB]

Gary, don't worry so much about your French!;)

[Thunder]

Gary where did you find this quote

[Kpy]

Originally posted by Gary Grant

"En 1937, le pavillon de chronométrage, dit André Lambert, est reconstruit en béton"crete, but my French isn't what it was and the

Absolutlely - timekeepers' building was rebuilt in concrete. Off to look for A Lambert, hope I find him.

[Marcor]

I'm more familiar with the names of the grandstands opposite the pits: Robert Benoist, Jean-Pierre Wimille, Raymond Sommer !!

A question about the 1st GP de la Marne at Reims in 1925. There was Raymond Roche in the entries, driving an Amilcar. Is it the famous Toto Roche, the long time President of the AC of Champagne and director of the race at Reims ?

[dbw]

any relation to the chap who built cool little aerodynamic coupes in the 1920's???

[David McKinney]

I believe Raymond Roche the racing-driver and Toto the infamous starter were one and the same.
As for the main question - I haven't a clue. If he was a driver this is the only mark he left on history. Perhaps he was a local dignitary? Or a fan who paid for the building?

[dbw]

this is a wild guess.. how about the donkey given to ettore bugatti by count florio..his name??? Totosche !!!;)

[Barry Boor]

Whether twas the same person or not, I cannot be sure but Toto Roche's given christian name was definitely Raymond.

[Ray Bell]

Inspired by dbw's request, I looked up Lambert and the cute coupe was built by Germain Lambert, who was in the business until 1952 and died a Paris restauranteur in 1981.

Not him...

[Bjorn]

http://www.nfb.ca/FM...N/18/18019.html

see who composed the music.

[Ray Bell]

1986? I don't think so...

[Don Capps]

At one point, The Capps Archives had a small booklet about the circuit at Reims which mentioned something about the names of all the structures on the circuit. I have no idea how I came to possess it (outside the obvious answer that I usually tried to get a copy of every piece of printed matter on racing I could when I was growing up... which included consecutive trips to Reims from 1956 to 1960).

Alas, memory fails me when it comes to Albert Lambert.

However, I know that the answer is out there somewhere....

[FLB]

Well, as chronométrage means timekeeping, could he have had something to do with that? A local journalist? An official?

[Barry Lake]

Speaking of Ettore Bugatti, when I was walking through Paris the other day (a break between flights on my way to Barcelona) I saw there was an exhibition of (Rembrandt?) Bugatti's art (furniture?) and sculptures.
I didn't have time to check it out, but outside there was a large sculpture of an elephant and it was very much like the mascot on the Bugatti Royales.
Couldn't remember if it was exactly the same, but if it wasn't it looked close to my tired eyes and numbed mind at the time.

[Marcor]

I've got the answer !!! In fact, I came to see the site http://perso.wanadoo...ms/histoire.htm which is a site (o.a) about the circuit of Reims. It is in French so I've quickly sent a mail to the responsible of the site, Arnaud Meunier asking if he would know who was André Lambert.

Here's his answer. It's in French and the translation follows just after. All merits is for Arnaud Meunier. Thanks him !!!

"... Le pavillon de chronométrage était à l'origine une perchoir non abrité qui devient en 1937 le pavillon en dur encore visible de nos jour. Ce pavillon dit "André Lambert" comprend au rez de chaussée, la direction de course, le central téléphonique, la direction des services médical, de police et d'incendis. Au premier étage, les services de chronométrage et les téléscripteurs. Le pavillon de chronométrage est dit André Lambert à la mémoire d'un des membres fondateur des circuits de Reims. André Lambert (1878 - 1949)."

The time-keepers 'hut' was originally an un-sheltered roost (perch). It became in 1937 this concrete building still visible nowadays. This lodge consisted of, on the ground floor, the race direction, the telephone exchange, the direction of the medical, police and fire brigade duties. On the first floor the time-keeping services and teleprinters.

It was called André Lambert in memory of one of the founder members of the circuits of Reims (the circuits with "s"). André Lambert was born in 1878 and died in 1949.

[Don Capps]

And once again, the Nostalgia Forum answers the call....;)

[Barry Boor]

Congratulations and thanks, Marcor.

My wife will be disappointed for twas she who suggested I pose the question. However I am not surprised it has been answered, merely that it took 4 or 5 days!

[Barry Boor]

Marcor, extending this Reims theme a little, I wonder if you could ask Arnaud Meunier if he knows anything about the 'wrong' Reims circuit plan that I mentioned on a thread some time ago?

There were people, at that time, who suggested that there had been 3 different tracks but the site you quote shows only 2. Strangely enough, their circuit plan is not that accurate, but is nothing like the 'wrong' one I have in several books.

It would be interesting to find out if Monsieur Meunier knows anything about it.

[Marcor]

The first GP de la Marne - in 1925 - used a track 22 km long (13.67 miles). It was then the circuit of Beine-Mauroy (near Reims). The itinerary used the present National road N31. It passed through the villages La Bertonnerie, Beine and the destroyed village Mauroy, to go down again via the road D34 on the road of Suippes.

From 1926, the Reims-Gueux circuit was initially 7.815 km long. It was triangular of which the vertices were the corners of Gueux, La Garenne and Thillois, using a part of National Road 31 (N31) and Departmental lane D26 and D27...

(Translated from "Les grandes heures du circuit de Reims-Gueux", in AUTOMOBILIA)

[fines]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
However I am not surprised it has been answered, merely that it took 4 or 5 days!

Now that we all know who André Lambert was, who should care about the 1973 Japanese GP? :chewing on sour grapes:

[Gary Grant]

Argh! And to think I found that site first - if only I'd thought of writing to the owner!

Still, well done Marcor - my faith in TNF to come up with the answer to anything motor racing related, no matter how obscure, is reaffirmed.

[Mike Riedner]

André Lambert was an insurance broker.

[arttidesco]

André Lambert was an insurance broker.

 

Think this beats my personal record for answering a TNF question, with a photo of Master James driving a DN3, some ten years after the question was asked, by some considerable margin, well done Mike