‘Albertine’ and Albert and the Salmson

We found this lovely picture of a lady named Madame Derancourt and a little boy in what is said to be her Salmson. It was taken in Paris in September 1926 at the start of the Rallye Automobile Féminin. Apart from the driver and passenger, the first thing that struck us was the unusual style of the wings. Or is that perhaps 'wing'? The front and rear mudguard seem to have been made into one, in an unusual shape, too. Suggestions on coachbuilders responsible for the job are welcomed in the comments below.

Rallye Automobile Féminin

We, ourselves, couldn’t find anything more on the car but then did a simple search combining the names ‘Salmson’ and ‘Derancourt’ only to be most pleasantly surprised. An eight-year-old boy named Albert Derancourt is mentioned to have been the youngest racing car driver in the world back in 1924. His car: a dark-coloured Salmson with a speedster-esque body. Another picture of the young Derancourt shows him at the age of ten behind the wheel of a Bugatti Type 35, which he supposedly dared to drive at speeds up to 150 km/h. Little Albert’s parents certainly must have had great faith in the French automobile!

We guess the lady seen above has to be his mother Marie-Léonie, who was a known racing car driver herself and was sometimes called 'Albertine' after her famous son! That surely has to be little Albert next to her here? Is it possible that he joined her as a co-driver on the 1926 Rallye Féminin from Paris to La Baule?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Picture National Library of France.

Published:

Friday December 17th, 2021

Hergen Deuter

19 December 2021, 14:11

Hello Keith, the street name has since changed, but you can see the current situation on Google Street View at 26 Rue Louis Moreau Etampes.

Keith K. Kuehn

18 December 2021, 18:38

Now I wonder what the street scene looks like today!

David Harrison

18 December 2021, 12:42

There is a 3 litre Bentley with very similar wing design pictured on page 31 in Johnnie Greens book Bentley Fifty Years of the Marque.
The picture shows a very sporting two seater not unlike the Salmson. The description accompanying the photograph says the work is thought to be by Jarvis .

Mathieu G.

17 December 2021, 16:44

Albertine Derancourt was managing a garage in Etampes (south of Paris) nearby the famous "Montlhery" 26 rue Saint-Jacques. Here is a focus of the garage (postcard). We can see the Salmson sign( round) and perhaps a Salmson Tail ?

Ruud Leenen

19 December 2021, 11:36

Nothing special today. All old buildings are gone. Here's the current view https://goo.gl/maps/Ly5LbTgbsjPc4JTo7. Just around the corner on the left is the church, Eglise Saint Gilles, that can be seen on the postcard. The road "rue St-Jacques" moved some 10-15 meters to the left I guess. At the place of the old garages is now a parking lot.

Keith Kuehn

17 December 2021, 15:16

My humble opinion it is of three pieces. The front and rear wings being attached to the footplate.....Thanks Martin for your photo....Keith

Martin Hunter

17 December 2021, 10:54

That was a standard wing shape for a "2 places" Grand Sport Salmson of that period. Please see the attached SMS illustration.

‘Albertine’ and Albert and the Salmson

Rallye Automobile Féminin

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