13 replies to this topic

[raoul leDuke]

I'm trying to put a short bio together about Robert Laly for historicracing.com. I have a fair bit of information about his expoits as a riding mechanic and a driver but have not been able to come up with where and when he was born or when he died. I'd appreciate any help.

Does anyone have any ideas where I could look?

[robert dick]

Laly was born in 1885 (I don't know the exact date - and where).
In 1902 he began to work for Lacoste & Battmann at Levallois-Perret. It was there that he met René Thomas.
Between 1905 and -07, he acted as riding mechanic for Barriaux, most of the time in the seat of a Vulpès voiturette, for example at Château-Thierry, Gaillon, Dourdan.
In 1907 he drove a Vulpès in the Coupe des Voiturettes at Rambouillet, and finished 14th. Barriaux in a similar Vulpès finished 20th and was not happy so that for the time being this was Laly's last drive.
Between 1909 and -11 he spent his "service militaire", in the infantry.
Then he was again riding mechanic in the Alcyon for Barriaux and Louis Wagner, in the Peugeot for René Thomas, and in the Martini for Albert Guyot (3-litre Martini, in the 1914 Tour de France).
It was in this 1914 Tour de France that René Thomas asked Laly if he wanted to be his riding mechanic in the Delage at Indianapolis.

Laly and Thomas were good friends of Jackie Pichon :
Collection Jackie Pichon
76690 Clères
Seine Maritime
France
The Pichon family certainly knows more about Laly.

[raoul leDuke]

Robert. Thanks for the information and lead to the Pichon family. Most helpful.

[Courvasier Cath]

Hello M Raoul LeDucke

First of all, would you be kind not to joke with my english . I am French and it is difficult for me to write in english.

My mother was a friend of M. and Mrs Laly. She took care of him for the end of his life in the Levallois-Perret (in Paris'suburbs)after the deah of his wife. He is buried in Levallois cimetary. I have some writings from Robert Laly and a medal for The Indianapolis race in 1914. some photographies also.
for the next year, I manage to publish some informations about Laly' memories but I have to meet the Clères Museum before.
My projet is getting money for the keeping of the burial because he had no child and the cimetary may destroy the burial.

Where are you from ?
We live in the south of France.


Catherine Courvasier Dubois
my email : aucaredub@wanadoo.fr

[Boniver]

In 1924 tot 1930 there was Robert Laly - Aries,

is this the Robert Laly who drive in 1907 with Vulpes
and in 1914 als riding mechanic in Indianapolis (Thomas)
and in 1920 als riding mechanic in Indianapolis (Chassagne)

[fines]

Yes, Boniver, I'm pretty sure it's the same person.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Courvasier Cath
Hello M Raoul LeDucke

First of all, would you be kind not to joke with my english . I am French and it is difficult for me to write in english.

My mother was a friend of M. and Mrs Laly. She took care of him for the end of his life in the Levallois-Perret (in Paris'suburbs)after the deah of his wife. He is buried in Levallois cimetary. I have some writings from Robert Laly and a medal for The Indianapolis race in 1914. some photographies also.
for the next year, I manage to publish some informations about Laly' memories but I have to meet the Clères Museum before.
My projet is getting money for the keeping of the burial because he had no child and the cimetary may destroy the burial.

Where are you from ?
We live in the south of France.


Catherine Courvasier Dubois
my email : aucaredub@wanadoo.fr

Catherine, good onglaise

I have a question...what is Clères Musee?? Motorsport Musee??

Merci, Mick (Australie)

[Vitesse2]

Mick: Catherine is referring to the Collection Jacky Pichon mentioned by Robert in his post. Doesn't seem to have a web presence, but it seems to be a general motoring museum for Normandy including a specialist collection of military vehicles.

[Haine Kane]

Hello from France,

I live at 20 kilometers from Clères in Normandy, but the museum is close and the cars sale...
I don't know where Mr PICHON live today.

Sorry

Catherine I contact you (in french... ) by e-mail.

[oliver heal]

Robert Laly came to England in 1920 as mechanic to Jean Chassagne who drove a 1919 4.9 litre Indianapolis Ballot. They finished second in three out of the four races entered in the September BARC autumn races at Brooklands. The Autocar reported that the Ballot attracted much attention "the more so, in that its mechanic wore a wonderful pair of shoes and socks, which with his boiler suit, at once took the fancy of the spectators".

Does anyone know what Laly's shoes and socks looked like?
Ol.

[robert dick]

Laly liked two-tone shoes, black and yellow, and the matching hooped socks.

[oliver heal]

Robert
Thank you very much for the prompt reply to a question that has puzzled me for a long time. Where does your information come from? He must have been quite a character.
Ol.

[robert dick]

Originally posted by oliver heal
Where does your information come from?

It was mentioned by William Bradley in contemporary reports and by René Thomas in an interview published in the sixties in the French magazine "L'Automobile".

In May 1914, in the sleeping car on the way from New York to Indianapolis (Laly was riding mechanic for René Thomas in the 6,2-litre Delage), Laly left his black and dark yellow shoes in front of the door for brushing. When he woke up, he could not believe his eyes. They shone in uniform black, like the shoeshine boy who beamed from ear to ear.

[oliver heal]

Excellent! Lovely story. Thank you very much.
Ol.