24 Hours of Le Mans: 1926

 

The 1926 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 4th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 12 and 13 June 1926. It was the first Le Mans race where the winner's average speed was over 100 km/h (62 mph), and also the first to break the 24-hour distance record set by Selwyn Edge at Brooklands in 1907.

This year saw the entry of the Peugeot works team, after strong success elsewhere in touring and grand prix racing. Their competition would come from defending distance victors Lorraine-Dietrich and Bentley. Chenard-Walcker was a notable absentee, after being the pacesetter in the early years. The start/finish line and pits returned to its original point and extensive building of grandstands and spectator facilities was undertaken.

From the start the Peugeots set the pace chased by the Bentleys and Lorraines. As the others encountered mechanical issues, the experienced Lorraine drivers built a strong 1–2 lead that was never headed. A late charge by Bentley ended in the last hour when Sammy Davis could not stop in time and put the car into the sandbank at the end of the Mulsanne Straight.

Manufacturers now only needed to have produced 10 of a model to be eligible to race them. Cars needed to be running at the end of the 24 hours, and complete their final lap in a minimum of 30 minutes. The ACO dictated the pit sequence, where pit-crew could assist the drivers – doing refuelling, adding oil, water, and then changing tyres and wheels before getting onto other mechanical work. The tools used had to have been carried on the car. Smoking was also now prohibited in the pits and fire extinguishers had to be carried on each car.

Further, to assist with safety, marshals were stationed around the track with blue and yellow flags. A held blue flag warned the driver to hold his current path, and when waved, to slow down. The yellow flag told the drivers to stop immediately. At night lights were fitted with blue or yellow filters.

Where we have not had a model of the car as raced through the business I've added another example of the car as an illustration (where I have one)

 

Pos

Car

No.

Team

Drivers

Chassis

Engine

Laps

1

 Lorraine Dietrich B3-6 (example)

6

 Société Lorraine De Dietrich
et Cie

 André Rossignol
 Robert Bloch

Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Le Mans

Lorraine-Dietrich 3.4L S6

148

2

 Lorraine Dietrich B3-6

5

 Société Lorraine De Dietrich
et Cie

 Gérard de Courcelles
 Marcel Mongin

Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Le Mans

Lorraine-Dietrich 3.4L S6

147

3

Lorraine Dietrich B3-6 (example)

4

 Société Lorraine De Dietrich
et Cie

 Édouard Brisson
 . Stalter

Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Le Mans

Lorraine-Dietrich 3.4L S6

139

4

 Still Looking

17

 Officine Meccaniche

 Ferdinando Minoia
 Giulio Foresti

O.M. Tipo 665S Superba

O.M. 1998cc S6

135

5

 Still Looking

18

 Officine Meccaniche

 Mario Danieli
 Tino Danieli

O.M. Tipo 665S Superba

O.M. 1998cc S6

131

6

 Still Looking

27

 Automobiles Th.Schneider SA

 Pierre Tabourin
 Auguste Lefranc

Th.Schneider 25 SP

Th.Schneider 1954cc S4

118

7

 Still Looking

21

 Établissements Automobiles
Rolland et Pilain SA

 Aimé Nezeloff
 Jean Lassalle

Rolland-Pilain C23 Super Sport

Rolland-Pilain 1997cc S4

118

N/C
**

 Still Looking

15

 Henri Falconnet Paris

 Maurice Dumont
 . Deprez

Overland Six 93

Overland 2.8L S6

117

8

 Still Looking

37

 Établissements Henri Précloux

 Henri de Costier
 Pierre Bussienne

E.H.P. Type DS

CIME 1204cc S4

111

9

 Still Looking

46

 Société des Moteurs Salmson

 Georges Casse
 André Rousseau

Salmson Grand Sport

Salmson 1094cc S4

111

10

 Still Looking

33

 Société Française des
Automobiles Corre

 Jean Errecaldé
 André Galoisy

Corre-La Licorne V16 10CV Sport

SCAP 1425cc S4

109

N/C
**

 Still Looking

20

 Établissements Automobiles
Rolland et Pilain SA

 Gaston Delalande
 Louis Sire

Rolland-Pilain C23 Super Sport

Rolland-Pilain 1997cc S4

109

11

 Still Looking

42

 Société des Applications à
Refroidissements par Air

 André Marandet
 Gonzaque Lécureul

SARA BDE

SARA 1099cc S4

109

12

 Still Looking

43

 Société des Applications à
Refroidissements par Air

 Gaston Duval
 Henri Armand

SARA BDE

SARA 1099cc S4

104

N/C
**

 Still Looking

35

 Automobiles Louis Ravel SA

 . van Cuyck
 Roger Camuzet

Ravel Type C

Ravel 1.5L I4

102

13

 Still Looking

49

 Société des Automobile
Ariès

 Fernand Gabriel
 Louis Paris

Ariès CC2 Super

Ariès 1045cc S4

102

N/C
**

 Still Looking

30

 Automobiles Jousset SA

 Léon Molon
 Lucien Molon

Jousset M1 Berline

CIME 1496cc S4

101

DNF

 Bentley 3 Litre (example)

7

 Bentley Motors Limited

 Sammy Davis
 Dr Dudley Benjafield

Bentley 3 Litre Speed

Bentley 3.0L S4

137

DNF

 Still Looking

25

 Établissements Industriels
Jacques Bignan

 Pierre Clause
 Georges Gautier

Bignan 2 Litre Sport

Bignan 1984cc S4

112

DNF

 Bentley 3 Litre (example)

9

 Bentley Motors Limited
 T. Thistlethwayte (private entrant)

 Tommy Thistlethwayte
 Clive Gallop

Bentley 3 Litre Super Sport

Bentley 3.0L S4

105

DSQ

 Still Looking

19

 Officine Meccaniche

 Renato Balestrero
 Frédéric Thelusson

O.M. Tipo 665S Superba

O.M. 1998cc S6

94

DSQ

 Still Looking

2

 Société des Automobiles Peugeot

 André Boillot
 Louis Rigal

Peugeot Type 174 Sport

Peugeot 3.8L S4

82

DSQ

 Still Looking

3

 Société des Automobiles Peugeot

 Louis Wagner
 Christian Dauvergne

Peugeot Type 174 Sport

Peugeot 3.8L S4

76

DNF

 Bentley 3 Litre (example)

8

 Bentley Motors Limited

 George Duller
 Frank Clement

Bentley 3 Litre Speed

Bentley 3.0L S4

72

DNF

 Still Looking

10

 Société des Automobile Ariès

 Jean Chassagne
 Robert Laly

Ariès Type S GP2 Surbaissée

Ariès 3.0L S4

65

DNF

 Still Looking

29

 Automobiles Jousset SA

 René Bonneau
 Raymond Saladin

Jousset M1 Tourisme

CIME 1496cc S4

64

DNF

 Still Looking

38

 Établissements Henri Précloux

 Marcel Ballot
 . Morac

E.H.P. Type DS

CIME 1204cc S4

62

DNF

 Still Looking

26

 Automobiles Th.Schneider SA

 Robert Poirier
 Antonin Fontaine

Th.Schneider 25 SP

Th.Schneider 1954cc S4

61

DNF

 Still Looking

39

 Société des Moteurs Salmson

 Lionel de Marmier
 Jean Sachot

Salmson Type D2

Salmson 1193cc S4

54

DNF

 Still Looking

22

 Établissements Automobiles
Rolland et Pilain SA

 Paul Chalamel
 . Stremler

Rolland-Pilain C23 Super Sport

Rolland-Pilain 1997cc S4

53

DSQ

 Still Looking

36

 Automobiles Louis Ravel SA

 Georges Kling
 Pierre Rey

Ravel Type C

Ravel 1465cc S4

46

DSQ

 Still Looking

34

 Automobiles Louis Ravel SA

 Louis Abit
 Charles Duverger

Ravel Type C

Ravel 1465cc S4

45

DNF

 Still Looking

47

 Société des Moteurs Salmson

 Jean Hasley
 André de Victor

Salmson Grand Sport

Salmson 1094cc S4

35

DNF

 Still Looking

28

 Établissements Henri Précloux

 Guy Bouriat
 Guy Dollfuss

E.H.P. Type DT Spéciale 'Tank'

CIME 1496cc S4

34

DNF

 Still Looking

48

 Société des Automobile Ariès

 Roger Delano
 Edmond Closset

Ariès CC2 Super

Ariès 1045cc S4

31

DNF

 Still Looking

31

 Société Française des
Automobiles Corre

 Waldemar Lestienne
 Louis Balart

Corre-La Licorne G6 Sport

Corre 1496cc S6

31

DNF

 Still Looking

11

 Société des Automobile Ariès

 Arthur Duray
 Charles Flohot

Ariès Type S GP3

Ariès 3.0L S4

31

DNF

 Still Looking

32

 Société Française des
Automobiles Corre

 Fernand Vallon
 Albert Colomb

Corre-La Licorne V16/G6

Corre 1496cc S6

11

DNF

 Still Looking

1

 Henri Falconnet Paris

 Paul Gros
 Paul Leduc

Willys-Knight 66 Great Six

Knight 3.9L S6

8

DNF

 Still Looking

24

 Automobiles Georges Irat

 Léon Derny
 Amedée Rossi

Georges-Irat Type 4A Sport

Georges Irat 1993cc S4

7

DNF

 Still Looking

23

 Automobiles Georges Irat

 Maurice Rost
 Edmond Burie

Georges-Irat Type 4A Sport

Georges Irat 1993cc S4

6
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Last Edit: 12/06/2024 Page Created 26/07/2020