1931 24 Hours of Le Mans

Page Created 15/07/2020

24 Hours of Le Mans: 1931

Last Edit: 12/06/2024

The 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 9th Grand Prix of Endurance that took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 13 and 14 June 1931. With the demise of Bentley, the favourite for an outright victory was split between the Bugatti and Alfa Romeo works teams, with a lone privateer Mercedes as an outside chance. Once again it was one of the smaller fields, with only 26 starters.

This year there were no changes to the racing regulations of either the AIACR (forerunner of the FIA) Appendix C rules, nor those of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The biggest change this year was in the pits. Rather than refuelling with 10-litre cans, a series of 4-metre high reservoir towers were built holding 1000-litres. Three hoses from each allowed gravity-replenishment at about 250 litres per minute. Shell once again had the fuel contract and again offered its three standard fuel options. The ACO also now allowed a mechanic to assist the driver with the refuelling.

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		16	Earl Howe (private entrant)	Francis Curzon, Earl Howe Sir Henry Birkin	Alfa Romeo 8c-2300 LM	Alfa Romeo 2.3L S8 supercharged	184
2	(example)	1	V. Tatarinoff (private entrant)	Boris Ivanowski Henri Stoffel	Mercedes-Benz SSK	Mercedes-Benz 7.1L S6 supercharged	177
3	Still Looking	11	Fox & Nicholl	Tim Rose-Richards Owen Saunders-Davies	Talbot AV105	Talbot 3.0L S6	173
4	(example)	9	Roger Labric	Henri Trébort Louis Balart	Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Le Mans	Lorraine-Dietrich 3.4L S6	150
5	(example)	25	Aston Martin Ltd	Augustus “Bert” Bertelli Maurice Harvey	Aston Martin International	Aston Martin 1495cc S4	139
6	Still Looking	29	Roger Labric	Just-Emile Vernet Fernand Vallon	Caban Spéciale	Ruby 1097cc S4	128
N/C***	(example)	31	F. Samuelson (private entrant)	Sir Francis Samuelson Fred Kindell	MG Midget C-type	MG 746cc S4	?
DNF	Still Looking	10	Fox & Nicholl	Brian Lewis, Baron Essendon Johnny Hindmarsh	Talbot AV105	Talbot 3.0L S6	132
DNF	(example)	26	Aston Martin Ltd	Kenneth Peacock Sammy Newsome	Aston Martin International	Aston Martin 1495cc S4	126
DNF	(example)	24	Aston Martin Ltd	Humphrey Cook Jack Bezzant	Aston Martin International	Aston Martin 1495cc S4	111
DSQ	Still Looking	27	C. de Ricou (private entrant)	Gustave Duverne Robert Girod	B.N.C. Type 527 Sport	Ruby 1097cc S4	111
DNF	(example)	14	SA Alfa Romeo	Attilio Marinoni Goffredo Zehender	Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 LM	Alfa Romeo 2.3L S8 supercharged	99
DNF	Still Looking	23	J. Sébilleau (private entrant)	Jean Sébilleau Georges Delaroche	Bugatti Type 37	Bugatti 1496cc S4	96
DNF	Still Looking	12	P. Hope-Johnson (private entrant)	Peter Hope-Johnson Jack Bartlett	Arrol-Aster 17/50	Arrol-Aster 2.4L S6 supercharged	95
DNF	Still Looking	28	Roger Labric	Roger Labric Yves Giraud-Cabantous	Caban Spéciale	Ruby 1097cc S4	89
DSQ	Still Looking	22	M. Mareuse (private entrant)	Marguerite Mareuse Odette Siko	Bugatti Type 40	Bugatti 1496cc S4	45
DNF	Still Looking	30	C. Charrier (private entrant)	Charles Charrier Camille Royer	Lombard AL3	Lombard 1097cc S4	45
DNF	(example)	32	Hon. Mrs J. Chetwynd (private entrant)	Hon. Joan Chetwynd Henry Stisted	MG Midget C-type	MG 746cc S4	30
DNF	(example)	7	G. Bevan (private entrant)	Gerald Bevan Mike Couper	Bentley 4½ Litre	Bentley 4.4L S4	29
DNF	(example)	5	Automobiles Ettore Bugatti	Albert Divo Guy Bouriat	Bugatti Type 50S	Bugatti 5.0L S8 supercharged	26
DNF	(example)	4	Automobiles Ettore Bugatti	Louis Chiron Achille Varzi	Bugatti Type 50S	Bugatti 5.0L S8 supercharged	24
DNF	Still Looking	19	A. Schumann (private entrant)	Pierre Louis-Dreyfus Antoine Schumann	Bugatti Type 43	Bugatti 2.3L S8 supercharged	22
DNF	(example)	6	Automobiles Ettore Bugatti	Maurice Rost Conde Caberto Conelli	Bugatti Type 50S	Bugatti 5.0L S8 supercharged	20
DNF	(example)	3	É. Brisson (private entrant)	Édouard Brisson Joseph Cattaneo	Stutz Model M Blackhawk	Stutz 5.3L S8	19
DNF	Still Looking	2	H. de Costier (private entrant)	Henri de Costier Raymond Lussan	Chrysler CG Imperial Eight	Chrysler 6.3L S8	18
DNF	Still Looking	8	H. de Costier (private entrant)	Raymond Sommer Jean Delemer	Chrysler CD Eight	Chrysler 4.0L S8	14

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