Pierre Veyron

[DivineF1]

I just wanna find some good info about Veyron from a website, but all i seem to find has to do with the new Bugatti Veyron 16/4 or 18/4. I love the Bugatti cars and i really wanna learn more about Veyron. The only thing i know about him is that he won in Le Mans back in 1939 with a Type51A (not sure though).That was marque's last victory in a racing event. Can someone help?

[Aysedasi]

According to the info available to me, Veyron partnered 1937 Le Mans winner Wimille in a Type 57 Bugatti at Le Mans in 1939. The "Tank" had a 3.3 litre Roots supercharged engine. Veyron had taken part in 4 previous Le Mans, but failed to finish in each of those races. I don't know which years he raced in.

In '39, the Delage of Gerard and Monneret led through most of the night but suffered engine problems (probably the result of a broken valve spring). The Bugatti took the lead while the Delage was in the pits and maintained this to the flag, the Delage still managing to finish second. The Bugatti (the driving of which is credited largely to Wimille in most records) beat the 1937 record, with a distance completed of 2084.54 miles at an average speed of 86.86 mph.

Aside from this, I know nothing at all about Veyron, although I will have another scout around for you.

[Aysedasi]

OK Divine, not too much around about dear Pierre! As you say, most of the references are modern day, but I did find the following:-

There is a picture of your boy at:-

http://www.motorracingretro.i12.com/gp34/34mon12.htm

If you follow that site through, you may find some more info about him.

If you visit Stefan's Le Mans Register you will also find the results of the 1939 race:-

http://user.tninet.se/~aiq291w/1939.htm

Interestingly, there are references to a Pierre Veyron taking part at Le Mans in both 1949 and 1953. See:-

http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/a.../53lemans.html

and

http://user.tninet.se/~aiq291w/1953.htm

I haven't got time to check out any more for the moment. If you want to find out when Pierre raced at Le Mans (and we seem to know he raced there 4 times before 1939), Stefan's results pages will probably tell you, as will the archives at the www.silhouet.com site, I dare say.

Happy hunting!

[Aysedasi]

Me again.

There is a good picture of the 1939 winning car in Anders Clausager's "Le Mans" book (my copy published in 1982). There is also an inset pic of the car with both drivers after the end of the race, if you're interested.


Oh and by the way, welcome to the Forum!

[Felix Muelas]

Just to complement Aysedasi´s info, this is what TASO Mathieson had to say about him :

Veyron, Pierre
This French driver was born in 1903 and started racing in 1930 with an EHP in which he finished 2nd in the 1,500cc class in the Touring Grand Prix of Oran. In 1931 he acquired a Type 37A Bugatti and, besides winning the 1,500cc class of the Geneva GP, finished 2nd in the Grands Prix of Tunis and Comminges.
For the next four years Veyron confined his activities mainly to the 1,500cc or voiturette class, and in 1932 changed his Bugatti for an 8-cylinder Maserati with which he won the Grands Prix of Casablanca, Lorraine and Comminges, and finished 2nd at Tunis, Oran and Nice, and at Brno in the Czechoslovak GP. In 1933 he drove one of the latest Type 51 A Bugattis, and with this car won the voiturette races at the AVUS, the Grands Prix of Lwow, Poland, and of Albi; finished 2nd in the Grand Prix de La Baule; and 3rd in the Grands Prix of the Eifel and Dieppe. He was invited to join the Bugatti team in 1934,as a driver for voiturette races, and won at the AVUS and Albi, taking 2nd place in the Prix de Berne. He also drove a Type 51 Bugatti in the Grands Prix of Albi (unlimited class race) in which he came 3rd.
In 1935 Veyron had another successful season, winning the Grands Prix of Lorraine and Albi for the third year in succession, and the Grand Prix des Frontieres (2nd in general classification). He was 2nd in the Czechoslovak GP and 3rd at Dieppe. For the most part the races in France in 1936 were confined to sports cars and Veyron became a full member of the Bugatti team for these races. He finished 6th in the French GP, a 1,000 kilometre event at Montlhery, partnered by W. Williams, and 4th in the Grand Prix de la Marne. He was 2nd at Albi, a race by then confined to voiturettes.
Between 1937, and his retirement from racing in 1953, Veyron competed only at Le Mans, where he finished 1st in 1939 with Wimille as co-driver. The pair scored an outstanding victory at record speed, but in all the other years he failed to finish. He died in 1970.

Felix

[Aysedasi]

Hey, well done Felix.

Although I can't say that I have (had) any interest in M. Veyron, after casting about for info I was quite intrigued to find out more about him.

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm not familiar with your source (I probably should be). Can you enlighten me?

[Vitesse]

I think Felix is being disingenuous!! That's from the Georgano Encyclopaedia, but it was written by TASO ...

[Felix Muelas]

No problem.

It´s TASO (Thomas Alastair Sutherland Ogilvie) Mathieson-signed article to be found in page 318 of "The Encyclopaedia of Motor Sport" edited by GN Georgano (1971)

Now, before you start playing with me I´ll tell you who Mathieson is. In this case I´ll use Cyril Posthumus as a source, hope you do not mind

Born in Glasgow in 1908, 'Taso' Mathieson began racing at Brooklands in a one-make Lagonda meeting in 1930,and had his first victory at the track in the Norfolk Senior Mountain Handicap in 1932, driving a blown 2-3-litre OM. He had three other wins in 1932 and 1933 with
Bugattis, and set a new Mountain Circuit lap record for 2-litre cars at 72-15mph (116-11 kph). Indifferent health kept him out of racing from 1934, and his Bugatti was driven on several occasions by Chris Staniland. By 1938, however, 'Taso' was back, taking 3rd place at Chimay with a Bugatti Type 57S. He drove at Le Mans in 1938 and 1939, in a 4-litre Talbot with F. E. Clifford in 1938 and a 4-5-litre Talbot with Luigi Chinetti in 1939, but in both events mechanical trouble eliminated them.

After the war 'Taso' became the first Briton to race again on the Continent, acquiring an ex-Birkin 3-litre Maserati which he drove during the 1946 season. In 1950 he bought a 2-litre Le Mans Frazer Nash with which he scored a class victory at Le Mans that year (with Dickie Stoop). In the 1951 Targa Florio he was 3rd in the Frazer
Nash when the fan belt broke. He was 2nd at Senigallia and 4th at Oporto, and in 1952 he bought the ex-Baird 2-3-litre Ferrari which he drove to 6th place in the Targa Florio, winning the 3-litre class. In 1953 he drove a 2-litre sports Maserati with which he won his class at Roubaix and Bressuire. His last race was at Brands Hatch in 1955
with a San Remo Maserati, after which he concentrated on writing and building up his magnificent collection of photographs. He is the author of a number of authoritative books, including 'Grand Prix Racing 1906-1914' (of which, by the way, I bough a copy last month at Goodwood at an excellent price!)

Un abrazo

Felix

[Felix Muelas]

Originally posted by Vitesse
I think Felix is being disingenuous!!

Richard,

Aware as you are that English is not my mother language will you please enlighten me on the meaning of the word "disingenuous"?

Thanks

Felix

[Felix Muelas]

Merriam-Webster on-line answers my query :

lacking in candor; also
giving a false appearance of simple frankness

OMG!

Felix

[Vitesse]

!!

I picked up a copy of the French GP book at the FoS - great stuff, I'd been looking for a copy for years. Just a pity they didn't put an index in it!!

[DivineF1]

Thank u all so very much!! Aysedasi and Felix, u've helped a lot. Found some great stuff about this driver....and thnx for the welcoming

[DivineF1]

Sorry....just one last thing:

Vive La Marque !! *BUGATTI*