José Behra
José Behra | |
---|---|
Born | Joseph Édouard Robert Christian Behra 11 September 1924 Nice, France |
Died | 16 November 1997 Mougins, France | (aged 73)
Nationality | French |
Relatives | Jean Behra (brother) Eric Behra (adopted son) Jean-Paul Behra (nephew) |
24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
Years | 1957 – 1958, 1962 |
Teams | L. Coulibeuf North American Racing Team Automobili O.S.C.A. |
Best finish | DNF (1957, 1958, 1962) |
Class wins | 0 |
José Behra (11 September 1924 – 16 November 1997) was a French racing driver and rally driver.
Racing career
José Behra was the younger brother of Jean Behra. Similarly to Jean, he began his career racing motorcycles; Jean prepared a Terrot with which José scored his first three victories.[1]
Behra partnered Georges Houel in the 1954 Giro d'Italia, a road rally held over 10 days and 5,763 km (3,581 mi). The pair drove an Alfa Romeo to 10th overall, 2nd in class.[2]
In 1955, he took part in the
The pair raced an A6GCS in the 1956 Paris 1000 km at Montlhéry but did not finish; Jean won alongside Louis Rosier.[7] José served as co-driver for Jean in the Tour de France, finishing fifth overall. He entered a Denzel for the GT+1.3 race at the Coupes du Salon but did not attend.
He entered two rounds of the 1957 World Sportscar Championship alongside Léon Coulibeuf, racing a Maserati 200S at Le Mans and Sverige but retiring from both; in the latter, he was pushed into a ditch by a spinning competitor.[8][9][10] The same year, he drove with Christian Boulan to 22nd overall (4th in class) in the 12 Hours of Reims and was co-driver to Paco Godia in the Tour de France, taking 7th overall.[11][12] At the Coupes du Salon, he placed 6th in the GT+1.3 race and 11th in the main event.[13][14]
For the
Behra began the 1959 season with fourth in class at the Coupes de Vitesse in his Porsche. He entered Le Mans in a
Behra raced a
1961 saw Behra claim his best finish in the Monte Carlo Rally with 8th place.[31] In 1962, he retired from the 24 Hours of Le Mans with gearbox failure,[32] and entered the Tour de France but did not compete.[33] 1963 saw him co-pilot Jean Guichet to victory in the race,[34] and the following year he drove to second in the GT1.0 class.[35][36]
In 1965 he entered the Monte Carlo Rally and Critérium Neige et Glace but his result in either rally is unclear.[37][38] He drove an NSU Prinz to 10th in the GT2.0 race at the Prix de Paris (Montlhéry) and to second in class in the Alpine Rally.[39][40]
Behra was co-driver to Jean-François Piot in the 1969 Alpine Rally, but necessitated the pair's retirement when he fell ill during the event.[41] The pair found better fortune by winning their class in that year's Tour de France.[42]
Behra's final appearance in the Tour came in 1970 as co-driver to Jean-Claude Andruet in a Ligier JS1 sports prototype. This was the first race for the new car and both examples retired with engine troubles.[43]
Business interests
During the 1960s, Behra imported American cars to the Paris region in association with Guy Ligier. He moved to Puteaux in 1972 and became a Ford dealer there. He retired in 1990 and handed the dealership over to his adopted son Eric.[1]
In 1968, Behra worked with Ligier and Jo Schlesser to form the Formula Two team Ecurie Intersport SA, fielding two cars for Ligier and Schlesser in the 1968 European Formula Two Championship. The season came undone when Schlesser was killed during the 1968 French Grand Prix, upon which Ligier immediately retired as a driver and focused on building cars.[44]
Racing record
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | L. Coulibeuf (private entrant) |
Léon Coulibeuf | Maserati 200S | S2.0 | 136 | DNF (Fuel leak) | |
1958 | North American Racing Team | Pedro Rodríguez | Ferrari 500 TR
|
S2.0 | 119 | DNF (Overheating) | |
1962 | Automobili O.S.C.A. | George Arents | O.S.C.A. 1600 GT Zagato | E1.6 | 227 | DNF (Gearbox) |
Complete 12 Hours of Reims results
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Christian Boulan | Alfa Romeo 1900 Zagato | GT2.0 | 22nd | 4th | ||
1958 | Pedro Rodríguez | Porsche 356A Carrera Coupe | GT2.0 | 9th | 2nd |
Complete Tour de France Automobile results
As driver
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1958 | Stuart Lewis-Evans | Porsche 356A Carrera Coupe | GT | 6th | 6th | |
1960 | Pierre Monneret | Jaguar Mk II
|
T | ? | 4th | |
1962 | NSU | DNA | ||||
1964
|
AGACI | Pierre Landereau | NSU Prinz | GT1.0 | 34th | 2nd |
As co-driver
Year | Team | Driver | Car | Class | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1956 | Jean Behra | Porsche 356A Carrera | ? | 5th | ? | |
1957 | Paco Godia | Porsche 356A Carrera | GT | 7th | 7th | |
1963 | Jean Guichet (private entrant) |
Jean Guichet | Ferrari 250 GTO | GT | 1st | 1st |
1969 | Ford France - BP | Jean-François Piot | Ford Capri 2300 RS | SpT+2.0 | 6th | 1st |
1970 | Ligier
|
Jean-Claude Andruet | Ligier JS1 | GTS/P | DNF (Engine) |
Complete Rallye de Monte Carlo results
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1955 | Christian Soulan | DKW F91 | 15th | |
1958 | Roger Nathan-Murat | Citroën DS 19 | DNF | |
1959 | Roger Nathan-Murat | Citroën ID 19 | ? | |
1961 | Jean Bergès | NSU Prinz Sport | 8th | |
1963 | Jean-Paul Behra | NSU Prinz | 77th | |
1964 | Pierre Landereau | NSU Prinz 4 | DNF | |
1965 | Philippe Conso | NSU Prinz | ? |
External links
- José Behra at racingsportscars.com.
- Driver profile and co-driver profile at ewrc-results.com.
References
- ^ a b "Les Hommes du réseau de concessions Behra - Groupe Behra". groupebehra.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Giro d'Italia 1954 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1955". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Liège-Rome-Liège 1955". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Tour de Belgique 1955". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Supercortemaggiore 1955 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Paris 1000 Kilometres 1956 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Le Mans 24 Hours 1957 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Grand Prix Sweden 1957 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ Jenkinson, Denis (September 1957). "The Swedish Grand Prix". Motor Sport. p. 490-491. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "12 h Reims 1957 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Tour de France 1957 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Coupes du Salon [GT+1.3] 1957 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Coupes du Salon 1957 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ISBN 0-213-16846-4.
- ISBN 0-8019-6290-0.
- ISBN 978-1-84425-537-5.
- ^ "Coupes du Salon 1957 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Coupes de Vitesse [GT] 1958 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "12 h Reims 1958 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Trophée d'Auvergne 1958 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Tour de France 1958 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Tour de France 1958 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Le Mans 24 Hours 1959 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Monaco 1959 - Race entrants • STATS F1". statsf1.com. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Critérium International de la Montagne - Coupe des Alpes 1960". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Trophée d'Auvergne 1960 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Liège-Rome-Liège 1960". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Trophée d'Auvergne 1960 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Tour de Corse 1960". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1961". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Le Mans 24 Hours 1962 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Entry list Tour de France Automobile 1962". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Tour de France Automobile 1963". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Tour de France Automobile 1964". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Tour de France 1964 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Entry list Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1965". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Entry list Critérium Neige et Glace 1965". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Prix de Paris [GT 2] 1965 - Racing Sports Cars". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Coupe des Alpes 1965". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Coupe des Alpes 1969". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Tour de France Automobile 1969". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Final results Tour de France Automobile 1970". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Guy Ligier : le costaud de Vichy". caradisiac.com (in French). Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.