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Circle Genealogic and Historic Champanellois

Association "Law 1901" of Saint-Genès-Champanelle, 63 , France

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GORDON-BENNETT Cup 1905


MICHELIN map
offered free to spectators in 1905


Excerpt from the MICHELIN map
offered free to spectators in 1905


The starting point was located
west of the Laschamps plain.





1905 - The sixth edition of the race thus returned to France in 1905 organized by the Automobile Club of France (ACF). On proposal of the brothers MICHELIN Edouard and André, the circuit of Auvergne was selected in February. The eliminating heats took place in april and the race itself was held on July 5, 1905.

The french eliminating heats as from april 1905 : 24 competitors representing 10 racing teams :



manufacturer car number 1st
pilot
car number 2nd
pilot
car number 3rd
pilote
RICHARD BRASIER 1 Léon THERY 11 Gustave CAILLOIS 21 Phil STEAD
RENAULT FRERES 2 Ferenc SZISZ 12 EDMOND 22 Maurice BERNIN
CGV 3 Léonce GIRARDOT - - - -
BAYARD CLEMENT 4 Albert CLEMENT 14 René HANRIOT 24 VILLEMAIN
HOTCHKISS 5 Hubert Le BLON 15 Achille FOURNIER 25 A. LAVERGNE
AUTO MOTO 6 LAPERTOT - - - -
DIETRICH 7 Fernad GABRIEL 17 Henri ROUGIER 27 Arthur DURAY
DARRACQ 8 Victor HEMERY 18 Louis WAGNER 28 Genty DE LA TOULOUBRE
PANHARD LEVASSOR 9 George HEATH 19 Georges TESTE 29 Henri FARMAN
GORDON BRILLIE 10 Louis RIGOLLY - - - -

The french manufacturers could present to 3 pilots at the eliminating heats.

See the regulations of the French qualifiers

See the mechanical specifications of the race cars of the french eliminating heats.

Théry, Caillois and Duray will be qualified for the race of July 5, 1905, while arriving 1st, 2nd and 3rd at the time of the eliminating heats on June 16, 1905. Only 15 competitors will finish the heat. A price of 100 000 francs will reward the winner poured by one of the members of the Automobile Club of France.

The departure on July 5, of the final, will see 18 competitors of 6 different nations clashing :

Every country had to raise on his vehicles a color so that the spectators recognize the nationality of this one : black pour Italy, green for Great Britain, red for the United States of America, white for Germany and blue for France. (nonknown color for Austria, like Germany or the yellow of Belgium not present this time ?)

See the official map of the French qualifiers.

See the relief of the Auvergne circuit 1905.



manufacturer country of the manufacturer car number pilot
RICHARD BRASIER France 1 Léon THERY
NAPIER Great Britain 2 Arthur CLIFFORD EARP
MERCEDES Germany 3 Camille JENATZY
FIAT Italie 4 Vincent LANCIA
DAIMLER Austria 5 Hermann BRAUN
POPE-TOLEDO USA 6 Herbert LYTTLE
RICHARD BRASIER France 7 Gustave CAILLOIS
WOLSELEY Great Britain 8 Charles ROLLS
MERCEDES Germany 9 Pierre de CATERS
FIAT Italy 10 Alessandro CAGNO
DAIMLER Austria 11 Otto HYEROMINUS
POPE-TOLEDO USA 12 Albert DINGLEY
DIETRICH France 13 Arthur DURAY
WOLSELEY Great Britain 14 Cecil BIANCHI
MERCEDES Germany 15 Wilhelm WERNER
FIAT Italy 16 Felice NAZZARO
DAIMLER Austria 17 Alexandre BURTON
LOCOMOBILE USA 18 Joe TRACY

See the portrait gallery
of the 18 competitors from 1905

Théry and his mechanic Muller will gain the victory after a hard race into 7.02 min with an average of 78 km/h to traverse the 548 kilometers of the race over the circuit of Auvergne (4 turns of 147 km).

Only 10 competitors out of the 18 at the departure, will finish the race :



place manufacturer country of the manufacturer pilot time realized middle speed
1st RICHARD BRASIER France Léon THERY 7 h 02’ 42’’ 78,428 km/h
2nd FIAT Italy Felice NAZZARO 7 h 19’ 09’’ 75,341 km/h
3rd FIAT Italy Alessandro CAGNO 7 h 21’ 22’’ 74,693 km/h
4th RICHARD BRASIER France Gustave CAILLOIS 7 h 27’ 06’’ 73,691 km/h
5th MERCEDES Germany Wilhelm WERNER 8 h 03’ 30’’ 68,198 km/h
6th DIETRICH France Arthur DURAY 8 h 05’ 00’’ 67,917 km/h
7th MERCEDES Germany Pierre de CATERS 8 h 07’ 11’’ 67,087 km/h
8th WOLSELEY Great Britain Charles ROLLS 8 h 26’ 42’’ 65,098 km/h
9th NAPIER Great Britain Arthur CLIFFORD EARP 8 h 27’ 29’’ 64,970 km/h
10th DAIMLER Austria Herman Hermann BRAUN 8 h 33’ 05’’ 64,210 km/h

Podium

1st Léon THERY
1879-1909
2nd Felice NAZZARO
1881-1940
3rd Alessandro CAGNO
1883-1971


Pilots
1. Léon Théry (France)
• Born: April 16, 1879 in Paris (10th arrondissement),
• Died: March 8, 1909 in Paris, France (aged 29)

Théry was nicknamed "The Chronometer" for his exceptional racing consistency. Initially a mechanic, he participated in events on Decauville cars at the end of the 19th century (Paris Amsterdam Paris 1898, Tour de France Automobile 1899, victory in the Coupe des Voiturettes 1900, etc.). Having become a star driver for the manufacturer Charles Henri Brasier, he won the Gordon Bennett Cup two consecutive years: in 1904 in Homburg (Germany) and in 1905 in Auvergne (France) on Richard Brasier 80 and 96 hp cars respectively. His performances earned him national renown, with a hero's welcome in Paris and a visit to the Élysée Palace by President Loubet. In 1908, he participated in the Grand Prix de l'ACF but retired due to a mechanical problem on the penultimate lap. He died the following year of tuberculosis.

2. Felice Nazzaro (Italy)
• Born: December 4, 1881 in Monteu da Po (province of Turin, Italy)
• Died: March 21, 1940 in Turin, Italy

Iconic Italian driver of the years 1900–1925, winner of the Kaiserpreis (1907), the Targat Florio (1907, 1913, 1920), and the French Grand Prix (1907, 1922). He raced for FIAT and then his own brand and managed the FIAT racing team.

3. Gustave Caillois (France)
• Born: December 15, 1874 in Paris, France
• Died: February 13, 1958 in Nice, France

A cyclist and then a racing driver active from 1904 to 1913, he participated in prestigious races such as the Gordon Bennett Cup and the Vanderbilt Cup, racing under the pseudonym "Siolliac.".

4. Alessandro Cagno (Italy)
• Born: May 2, 1883 in Turin, Italy
• Died: December 23, 1971 in Turin, Italy

Born on May 2, 1883, in Turin, Cagno began his career as an apprentice mechanic in the Storero workshop, then became the third FIAT employee, a test driver, and Giovanni Agnelli's personal chauffeur. He began competing as an onboard mechanic in the 1903 Paris-Madrid race, then took the wheel himself shortly after. He won the Mont Ventoux hill climb in 1905, then became the first-ever winner of the Targa Florio in 1906, driving an Itala. Cagno also competed successfully in fuel-economy tests and motorboat races. Passionate about aviation, he co-founded the civil pilot school in Pordenone, designed aircraft, and flew over Venice, participating as a volunteer pilot in the Italo-Turkish War. After the First World War, he returned to racing, notably winning the Leningrad-Tbilisi-Moscow race in 1923 with the FIAT team. He then continued his career as a test driver and businessman in the automotive industry.

5. Wilhelm Werner (Germany)
• Born: April 23, 1874 in Großgartach (near Heilbronn), Germany
• Died: March 9, 1947 in Großgartach, Germany

A German pioneer at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft from 1895. He distinguished himself notably by winning the Semmering hill climb in 1902.

6. Arthur Duray (Belgium)
• Born: February 9, 1882 in Ixelles (Brussels, Belgium), naturalized French in 1933
• Died: February 10 or 11, 1954 in Paris, France

Belgian pilot naturalized French, speed record holder between 1903 and 1904, competitor in the Vanderbilt Cup and international events; he served during World War I and was also an aviation pioneer.

7. Pierre de Caters (Belgium)
• Born: December 25, 1875 in Berchem, Antwerp, Belgium
• Died: March 21, 1944 in Paris, France

Belgian baron, pioneer of the automobile, aviation (first Belgian to fly in 1908) and nautical speed. He trained pilots during the war and was one of the first Belgian aircraft manufacturers.

8. Charles Rolls (United Kingdom)
• Born: August 27, 1877 in London (Berkeley Square), United Kingdom
• Died: July 12, 1910 in Bournemouth (Southbourne), United Kingdom

Co-founder of Rolls-Royce, passionate about automobile speed and aviation. He made the first round-trip flight across the English Channel. He tragically died at the age of 32 during an air show.

9. Arthur Clifford Earp (United Kingdom)
• Born: 1879 in Lambeth (Surrey, London), United Kingdom
• Died: 1921 in Camberwell (London), United Kingdom

British volunteer driver, known for his exploits at Daytona Beach in 1906, completed a 100-mile race on a wheel rim after a flat tire, and competed in several editions of the Gordon Bennett Cup.

10. Hermann Braun (Germany)
• Born: December 18, 1874 in Cannstatt (Stuttgart), Germany
• Died: August 16, 1942 in Stuttgart Bad Cannstatt, Germany

A German pioneer as a mechanic for Daimler and driver. He won several editions of the Solitude Bergrennen starting in 1903 (6 PS class). A notable figure in motorsport before the Grand Prix.

It was the last edition of the motor race GORDON-BENNETT.

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">By the continuation, the Automobile Club of France will organize its race the GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE on the circuit of Sarthe.

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">James GORDON-BENNETT organized then a cup of the airships in 1906 to 1909, that of aviation before to die in 1918.



* * * * * * *

GORDON-BENNETT Cup of 1905 and the collar of mareno

the GORDON-BENNETT
cup

of 1905
over the
circuit of Auvergne
  Collar of mareno.
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Collar of mareno
Collar of mareno   GORDON-BENNETT cup
cup 1904
in Germany
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Plain of Laschamps
  circuit of Auvergne
collar of mareno
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Théry at the departure
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
platforms of A.C.F.
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Théry and his mechanic
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Théry alone
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Collar of mareno
  Collar of mareno
about 1900
GORDON-BENNETT cup
the plain of Laschamps
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
the platforms
GORDON-BENNETT cup
the circuit of Auvergne
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
the circuit of Auvergne
GORDON-BENNETT cup
the circuit of Auvergne
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
the plain of Laschamps
GORDON-BENNETT cup
cup 1904
in Germany
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Auvergne Automobile Club Commitee
poscard MICHELIN   GORDON-BENNETT cup
Plain of Laschamps
colorized
postcard MICHELIN   * *

The series Branger

GORDON-BENNETT cup
table of times
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
THERY
crossing Werner
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Théry posing
into his car
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
the tente of weighing
after the cyclone
GORDON-BENNETT cup
THERY
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
NAZZARI
GORDON-BENNETT cup
LANCIA
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
JENATZY
GORDON-BENNETT cup
LANCIA
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
TRACY
GORDON-BENNETT cup
CLIFFORD EARP
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
THERY
GORDON-BENNETT cup
THERY
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
the tribunes of A.C.F.
after the departure of Théry
the GORDON-BENNETT cup
crossing the railway
  * *

the series VDC (Veuve Coudert et Compagnie) without number

GORDON-BENNETT cup
Théry
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Duray
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Caillois
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Bianchi
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Clifford Earp
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
De Rolls
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Lyttle
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Dingley
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Tracy
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Lancia
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Cagno
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Nazzari
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Hermann Braun
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Hermann Braun
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Burton
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Hieronimus
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Werner
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Lancia
GORDON-BENNETT cup
De Caters
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Jenatzy

the series with number L'Hirondelle, Paris

GORDON-BENNETT cup
CLIFFORT
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
ROLLS
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Team
Richard Brasier
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
LANCIAT
GORDON-BENNETT cup
DURAY
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
CAGNO
GORDON-BENNETT cup
DINGLEY
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
LYTTLE
GORDON-BENNETT cup
THERY and BRASIER
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Big turn
under la baraque
GORDON-BENNETT cup
Colar of la mareno
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Turns between Laqueuille
and Ganoté
GORDON-BENNETT cup
passage at Pontaumur
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
Plain of Laschamps
GORDON-BENNETT cup
carte Hirondelle n°19
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
carte Hirondelle n°18
GORDON-BENNETT cup
carte Hirondelle n°5
  GORDON-BENNETT cup
carte Hirondelle n°4

The cup of the TOUT PETITS

the cup
of the TOUT PETITS
the cup
of the TOUT PETITS

Michelin victories in 1905


Pierre SOUVESTRE's account
of the 1905 GORDON-BENNETT Cup

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