(un)Solved Mysteries

The Louis Chevrolet Paris Mystery. (UPDATE III: 1910 Marquette Buick 100 / Henry Winterhoff)

A young Louis Chevrolet at the wheel of a vintage sports car specially prepared for a race in or near Paris (Boll d'Or perhaps?). Click the photo to check the detailing. Also see the back of the photo; in the handwriting of - seemingly - an older man, as if writing down a memory (click): "This is the racing car we built to race in Paris, but the race was postponed and afterwards abandoned. (unreadible...rier(?) Louis Chevrolet." Our obvious questions and of sender Barry Brown who found the photo in a book he bought in England(!). Which year? Which Chevy, Frontenac or other car? Which French event? Contact Us
UPDATE III by Ken Kaufmann:"This is the Louis Chevrolet's rebuilt 1910 Marquette-Buick Model 100 that was wrecked by him in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup race. When Louis left the Buick Racing Team in late February 1911 he was able to purchase this roadster with Durant's backing from the team for his own use. For the 1911 racing season these three roadsters were named Buick Model 100. This photo was taken by one of Chevrolet's first employees in March 1911, Henry Winterhoff, who died at 85 in 1973. His son Louis made copies of his racing photo album and presented them to several auto related archives and libraries in Michigan around 1975. The same photo was captioned, "This is the Marquette Buick "Louis" wrecked in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race. It had been entered in the Grand Prix race in Paris but was withdrawn. Mr. W. Durant had decided to enter it instead in the first 500 mile race at Indianapolis. . ." It appears the elder Winterhoff added the photos comments later in his life trusting his memory."
UPDATE II by Robert Dick:"The 1911 Grand Prix de France, also known as le Grand Prix des Vieux Tacots, was run on 23 July over the 54-km Circuit de la Sarthe, via Pontlieu, Écommoy and Le Grand Lucé. Originally the race was to be run on 9 July. On 2 May 1911, the Automobile Club de la Sarthe received four entries from America: three Nationals for Johnny Aitken, Charlie Merz and Howdy Wilcox, and a Marquette-Buick for Louis Chevrolet. The car on the photo is Chevrolet's Buick. "Paris" was synonymous with France and Circuit de la Sarthe. The race was cancelled, then postponed to 23 July. The American cars were not shipped to France."
Updates came in from Ian Seymour Smith, Stuart Penketh, Rex Wyeth and Jan van Hoorick. The agree the first word before Louis is 'Driver'. Stuart and Ian agree the car is a Buick, however Stuart says 1908/09 plus adds the race is maybe Paris Indiana, where Louis built his cars. Ian says about the car 1913 " a development of the Marquette-Buick". Editor: we tend to think 1913 is the more likely year.

Monday, 04 January 2010

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