The 1936 French Grand Prix (formally the XXX Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France) was a Grand Prix motor race which was held at Montlhéry, France on 28 June 1936. The race was held over 80 laps of the 12.5 km course for a total distance of 1000 km. The race was won by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Raymond Sommer driving a Bugatti.
Due to national outcry as a result of the 1935 Grand Prix where just one French car started which was uncompetitive and failed to finish, it was decided that for 1936 the race should be held as an endurance race for sports cars, with rules very similar to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and featured a Le Mans start. All 37 cars had two drivers, and were divided into 3 groups based on engine capacity: Group I for 0.75L to 2.0L, Group II for 2.0L to 4.0L, and Group III for over 4.0L.
Many entrants considered this race to be a replacement for the cancelled 1936 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Classification Pos Group No Driver Car Laps Time/Retire 1 II 84 Jean-Pierre Wimille Raymond Sommer Bugatti T57S 80 7h58m53.7 2 II 46 Michel Paris Marcel Mongin Delahaye 135 80 7hr59m44.3 3 II 78 Robert Brunet Goffredo Zehender Delahaye 135 80 8hr00m25.6 4 II 44 Laury Schell René Carriére Delahaye 135 79 +1 lap 5 II 36 Albert Perrot Marcel Dhôme Delahaye 135 78 +2 laps 6 II 86 Pierre Veyron William Grover-Williams Bugatti T57S 78 +2 laps 7 II 42 Louis Villeneuve Jean Viale Delahaye 135 76 +4 laps 8 II 52 "Heldé" "Nime" Talbot T150C 76 +4 laps 9 II 48 René Dreyfus Jimmy Bradley Talbot T150C 75 +5 laps 10 II 50 André Morel Luigi Chinetti Talbot T150C 75 +5 laps 11 II 60 "Danniell" J. Marie Delahaye 135 74 +6 laps 12 II 38 Albert Divo Armand Girod Delahaye 135 73 +7 laps 13 II 82 Robert Benoist Philippe de Rothschild Bugatti T57S 73 +7 laps 14 I 22 Jean Trévoux Percy Maclure Riley TT Sprite 71 +9 laps 15 I 4 Adolf von der Becke Hector Dobbs Riley TT Sprite 71 +9 laps 16 I 2 Joseph Paul Jean Sebilleau Riley TT Sprite 69 +11 laps 17 I 20 Austin Dobson Reggie Tongue Riley TT Sprite 67 +13 laps 18 III 90 Enaro Léoz Génaro Léoz Lagonda LG45 67 +13 laps 19 III 94 Henri Trintignant Rene Trintignant Hudson 65 +15 laps 20 I 12 Amedée Gordini Athos Querzola Simca-Fiat 508S Balilla 62 +18 laps 21 I 28 Andrew Leitch Roy Eccles Singer 60 +20 laps 22 I 26 Frank Stanley Barnes James Donald Barnes Singer 58 +22 laps 23 I 24 Clemente Martin Marcel Horvilleur Simca-Fiat 56 +24 laps 24 I 18 Victor Camerano Suzanne Largeaut Simca-Fiat 55 +25 laps 25 I 30 Earl Howe Tommy Wisdom Marendaz Special 54 +26 laps DNF I 10 Harold John Aldington Alfred Fane Peers Frazer Nash-BMW 328 ? DNF I 14 Jean de Gavardie Adrien Alin Simca-Fiat ? DNF I 16 Georges Sarret Paul Ducos Simca-Fiat ? DNF I 34 Thomas Graves Clarke Richard Seaman Aston Martin 1.5-litre ? DNF II 40 Philippe Maillard-Brune Charles Druck Delahaye 135 ? DNF I 6 Ernst Henne Robert Kohlrausch BMW ? DNF II 62 Francisque Cadot Henri Stoffel Talbot T150C ? DNF II 64 René Le Bègue Jean Danne Delahaye 135 ? DNF I 8 Fritz Roth Christian Kautz BMW ? DNF III 92 Andre Colas "Zattzky" Hudson ? Fire DNF III 96 Bravard Reveiller Hudson ? DNF III 98 Marcel Lehoux Roccati Lagonda LG45R ? Sources:
Fastest Lap: René Dreyfus, 5m36.0
References