Jean-Pierre Wimille

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Jean-Pierre Wimille (26 February 1908 – 28 January 1949) was a French

In 1931, Wimille finished second at the Monte Carlo Rally, driving a Lorraine-Dietrich.^[2] Driving a Bugatti T51, in 1932 he won the La Turbie hill climb, the Grand Prix de Lorraine and the Grand Prix d'Oran. In 1934 he was the victor at the Algerian Grand Prix in Algiers driving a Bugatti T59 and in January 1936 he finished second in the South African Grand Prix held at the Prince George Circuit in East London, South Africa then won the French Grand Prix in his home country.

Still in France, that same year Wimille won the Deauville Grand Prix, a race held on the city's streets. He won in his Bugatti T59 in an accident-marred race that killed drivers Raymond Chambost and Marcel Lehoux in separate incidents.^[3] Of the 16 cars that started the race, only three managed to finish.

In 1936, Wimille traveled to

Wimille married Christiane de la Fressange with whom he had a son, François, born in 1946. At the end of the War, he became the No. 1 driver for the Alfa Romeo team between 1946 and 1948, winning several Grand Prix races including his second

From 1946 on, Wimille built and designed cars in Paris under the brand-name Wimille. Between 1946 and 1950 around eight cars were built, at first with Citroën engines, later with Ford V8 engines.

Death

Wimille died when he lost control of his

• Grand Prix de Lorraine
• Grand Prix d'Oran

1934:

• Bugatti T59

1936:

• French Grand Prix – Bugatti T57G
• Grand Prix de la Marne – Bugatti T57G
• Deauville Grand Prix – Bugatti T59
• Grand Prix du Comminges – Bugatti T59/57

1937:

• Pau Grand Prix – Bugatti T57G (The Tank)
• Grand Prix de Böne – Bugatti T57
• 24 hours of Le Mans – Bugatti T57G driving with Robert Benoist
• Grand Prix de la Marne – Bugatti T57

1939:

• Coupe de Paris
• Grand Prix du Centenaire Luxembourg – Bugatti T57S45
• 24 hours of Le Mans – Bugatti T57C driving with Pierre Veyron

• Coupe de la Résistance –
  Alfa Romeo 308
• Grand Prix du Roussillon – Alfa Romeo 308
• Grand Prix de Bourgogne – Alfa Romeo 308
• Alfa Romeo 158

1947:

• Swiss Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
• Belgian Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
• Coupe de Paris

1948:

• Grand Prix de Rosario – Simca-Gordini T15
• French Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
• Italian Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
• Autodrome Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158/47

European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Post-WWII Grandes Épreuves results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1937	Roger Labric	Robert Benoist	Bugatti Type 57	5.0	243	1st	1st
1939	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Pierre Veyron	Bugatti Type 57	8.0	248	1st	1st
Source:[8]

References

Bibliography

• Paris, Jean-Michel and Mearns, William D: "Jean-Pierre Wimille: à bientôt la revanche", Editions Drivers, Toulouse, 2002,
  ISBN 2-9516357-5-3
• Saward, Joe: "The Grand Prix Saboteurs", Morienval Press, London, 2006,
  ISBN 978-0-9554868-0-7

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jean-Pierre Wimille.

• Grand Prix History – Hall of Fame Archived 22 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Jean-Pierre Wimille
• Jean-Pierre Wimille grave photos at Cimetière de Passy [1] [2]