Grand Prix d'Albi

Albi, 16 Jul 1950

All cars are 1.5-litre s/c F1 or 4.5-litre F1^† unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Talbot T26C [110 001] (Louis Rosier): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 001' was raced by Louis Rosier from 1948 to 1950 and then under the Ecurie Rosier banner by Pozzi in 1950; by Henri Louveau and Louis Chiron in 1951; and by Giraud-Cabantous, Chaboud and Mairesse in 1952. It was acquired by the Musée Henri Malatre at Rochetaillé, France, in 1956 and was still on display in 1990.
2. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1600] (José Froilán Gonzalez): Built in 1949 for Automovil Club Argentina and raced by under the ACA's "Scuderia Achille Varzi" banner Malusardi and Benedicto Campos. Raced in 1950 by Jose Froilan Gonzalez and then 1950-52 by other ACA drivers in South America. Reportedly to Venezuela then via US, Japanese and further US owners to 1996. Owned by Jean-Louis Duret from 1996. Retained 2000.
3. Simca-Gordini T15 [0014-GC] (Maurice Trintignant): Completed late 1949 and run by works for Manzon in 1950 and 1951, including in F1 events with supercharged engine. Rebuilt 1952 as sportscar 0019 and raced by Bordoni in Mille Miglia with 2.3-litre 6-cyl engine. In Musée Nationale 1983 but apparently not by 1993. More recent history unknown.
4. Talbot T26C [110 005] (Pierre Bouillin ("Levegh")): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 005' was raced by 'Levegh' from 1948 to 1951 and by Grignard once in 1951. Retained by the works until it was sold to Otto Zipper in the US in 1957. Then to the Briggs Cunningham museum via two other US owners to Tony Wang 1988.
5. Simca-Gordini T15 [0022-GC] (Robert Manzon): 1950 works car, sold to Thépenier 1951. Rebought (or borrowed) by works 1952 and raced by Bira and Behra then returned to Thepénier who continued to use in minor French events to 1955. Reappeared on the international scene in 1958 when Jacques Calès used it for F2. Later owners Claude Guesquière and René Mauriès, the latter selling at auction June 1997 to an anonymous private collector.
6. Maserati 4CLT-48 (Nello Pagani): The third AC Argentina car for 1950, entered by Scuderia Achille Varzi and driven by Pian & Pagani, has not yet been identified. Photographic evidence shows that the cars driven by Pagani at Albi, Pian at Monaco and Pagani at Bremgarten (all in 1950) appear to be the same and are not the ACA's regular cars from 1949, chassis 1599 and 1600.
7. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1609] (Giuseppe Farina): Maserati records show this car going to Nino Farina on 14 Nov 1949. Driven by Farina in 1950 Argentine Temporada, at Albi 1950 and in 1951 non-championship F1 races. From Farina to the Schlumpf brothers and now in the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse. The car apparently wears the chassis plate 1602 (another Farina-owned 4CLT).
8. Talbot T26C [110 011] (Johnny Claes): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 011' was Johnny Claes car in 1948-50 and then sold to Duncan Hamilton (and Fotheringham-Parker) and raced 1951-53. Stored in France until 1955 when Hamilton sold it to Allan Freeman in New Zealand who raced it through to 1961. It was bought by Joe Hepworth in 1963 and returned to England; then via other UK and French owners until sold to Bernie Ecclestone 1996. Retained 2002.
9. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1601] (Emmanuel de Graffenried): To Enrico Platé for 1949 (dated 7 Mar 1949 in Maserati records) and driven by Emmanuel de Graffenried. Continued as de Graffenried's well-used car through 1950 and 1951. Probably one of two cars extensively rebuilt as Plate-Maseratis for 1952. Probably raced by Ottorino Volonterio in F2 in 1953. Sold with the sister car (probably 1598) by de Graffenried to 20th Century Fox for film work then sold again via Tom Carstens (Tacoma, WA). Subsequent history unknown.
10. Ferrari 125 (Alberto Ascari): Two new two-stage supercharged, long-wheelbase Tipo 125s were built for the 1949 Italian GP with the internal designation 'GP49'. These were numbered either 125-C-00 and 125-C-01 or 125-C-01 and 125-C-02 and it is unclear which car Ascari drove. However, it was normal practice that he would have kept the same car thereafter. At Spa in 1950, Ascari's car was fitted with a Tipo 275 (3.3-litre) sports car Lampredi engine. It is not clear whether Ascari's car was even present at the French GP. One of these two 'GP49' cars became the Thin Wall Special while the other was renumbered 0114 and sold to Peter Whitehead for 1951.
11. Talbot T26C [110 009] (Raymond Sommer): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 009' was Raymond Sommer's 1949 car and then passed to Yves Giraud-Cabantous for 1950. Driven by Giraud-Cabantous and Pierre Meyrat 1951 and next seen with Louis Girardot 1953-56 and then possibly via Serge Pozzoli to Fritz Schlumpf 1957. In Musée de l'Automobile in Mulhouse 2001, possibly numbered 110002.
12. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1599] (Juan Manuel Fangio): Built in 1949 for Automovil Club Argentina and under the ACA's "Scuderia Achille Varzi" banner raced by Fangio and others. Raced occasionally in Europe 1950 by Fangio then to South America 1950-52 for various ACA drivers. A car with this number discovered in Argentina in 2002. Owned by Daniel Sielecki (Argentina) 2002.
13. Ferrari 275 (Luigi Villoresi): This car was one of the new two-stage supercharged, long-wheelbase Tipo 125s built for the 1949 Italian GP and now known to have had the internal designation 'GP49'. These were numbered either 125-C-00 and 125-C-01 or 125-C-01 and 125-C-02 and it is unclear which serial applies to the car that Villoresi drove. However, it is probable that he had the same car throughout. Villoresi's car was fitted with a Tipo 275 (3.3-litre) sports car Lampredi engine at Albi. At the French GP, Villoresi was to have a 275 engine but it is not clear whether his car was even present. One of these two cars became the Thinwall Special while the other was renumbered 0114 and sold to Peter Whitehead for 1951.
14. Talbot T26C [110 008] (Philippe Étancelin): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 008' was Philippe Etancelin's car in 1948 and then passed to Jean Achard November 1950. Achard moved to Brazil, taking the car, and sold it there to Pinheiro Pires who raced it in Brazil from 1951 to 1954. Remains to UK via Colin Crabbe in the 1980s and then via other UK owners to Tony Bianchi c1999. Has been raced in historics up to 2005.
15. Talbot T26C [110 002] (Yves Giraud-Cabantous): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 002' was raced by 'Raph' and Eugene Chaboud in 1948 and Paul Vallee and Guy Mairesse in 1950. Owned by Mairesse 1950-51; also raced by Giraud-Cabantous 1950; by Jean Blanc and Levegh 1952; and by Etancelin in 1953. In late 1953, Vallee sold the car to Doug Whiteford in Australia to replace his existing chassis '110 007'. Whiteford was surprised to discover that he'd bought an earlier model and it was 1955 before the car raced in Australia. It was sold to Ralph Snodgrass in 1956 but crashed badly at Mt Druitt in 1957. Snodgrass retained the car until 1980 when it was sold to Reg Hunt who restored it for historic events. Retained by Hunt until sold to Ron Towney in 2006.
16. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1607] ("B Bira"): To Enrico Platé for 1949 (dated 14 Nov 1949 in Maserati records) and raced by Bira up to Geneva 1950. Car fitted with a 4450cc OSCA V12 engine for Bira for the 1951 season. The OSCA was taken to Australia in 1955 by Bira as a spare car to his 250F and sold there to Alf Harvey who raced it from 1955 to 1959. The car then went to the UK for historic racing and was bought by Tom Wheatcroft in 1971. Subsequently in the Donington Museum.
17. Talbot T26C [110 002] (Pierre Meyrat): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 002' was raced by 'Raph' and Eugene Chaboud in 1948 and Paul Vallee and Guy Mairesse in 1950. Owned by Mairesse 1950-51; also raced by Giraud-Cabantous 1950; by Jean Blanc and Levegh 1952; and by Etancelin in 1953. In late 1953, Vallee sold the car to Doug Whiteford in Australia to replace his existing chassis '110 007'. Whiteford was surprised to discover that he'd bought an earlier model and it was 1955 before the car raced in Australia. It was sold to Ralph Snodgrass in 1956 but crashed badly at Mt Druitt in 1957. Snodgrass retained the car until 1980 when it was sold to Reg Hunt who restored it for historic events. Retained by Hunt until sold to Ron Towney in 2006.
18. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1611] (Felice Bonetto): Listed in Maserati records as going to Officine A. Maserati 7 Mar 1950 and then Scuderia Milan. Used by Milan for second Milan (Speluzzi)-engined 4CLT and raced in 1950 (for Bonetto at Monza and Godia at Barcelona) and 1951 (Marimon at Reims and Landi at Albi). Subsequent history unknown but one of the Milan-Maseratis is owned by Doreen Fielding in Scotland.
19. Milan ['1'] (Gianfranco Comotti): Built during 1950 by Scuderia Milan incorporating the modifications they had previously made to Maserati 4CLT chassis. A Gilco built tubular chassis frame housed a Speluzzi 4 cylinder engine ultimately in twin supercharged form. The car was notably unsuccessful, only appearing five times in 1950, after which it disappeared from view. Its ultimate fate is unknown. No Chassis number is known for this car.

Formula 1 events 1948-1953

The results published here were compiled by David McKinney and Adam Ferrington from a range of sources including Autocourse, Motor Sport and Autosport, as well as the F1 Register's A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 5 covering 1950 and 1951. Individual car identities were then meticulously checked against their enormous libraries of books and photographs, notably Talbot-Lago de Course by Pierre Abeillon, Les Gordini by Robert Jarraud, Gordini – Un Sorcier, Une Equipe by Christian Huet and The History of English Racing Automobiles by David Weguelin.

David has also contributed extensively from his notes on car identities compiled over 40 years of research, Michael Müller has contributed immaculately researched histories of all the 1948-1950 Ferrari 125s, and Doug Nye, both through his books and his personal assistance on HWM, has also been of great help.

Please note that since David's sad death in 2014, Adam and Allen have agreed that these pages will remain unaltered from now on, as a lasting testimony to David's expertise.