1911: Ford wins over Buggatti, Lancia, Peugeot and four other European makes.

[Rob]

An American in Paris (Paris newspaper, that is):

I'll get back to this story, but there's snow to move first. I'll leave with the beginning of the end of the story:

[Rob]

Back to the story. Meanwhile, a closer look at the racer motor and pan:

[Rob]

In early 1911 U.S. newspapers report the date for the French Grand Prix:

Two well known drivers are scheduled to attend:

[Wayne Sheldon]

I have only had a few minutes to look at this, and gotta go (haven't had time to read any of the news clippings). However, that does appear to be a larger engine than the standard model T. Pan dippers look extra wide, no "tea cup" drain, A few dimensional oddities around the flywheel sump, and a belly strap near the front of the pan. More later.

[Rob]

Wayne, I'll address the motor a little later.

This was the first Grand Prix (Priz, Prize) in several years. In addition, Frances best known hill climb and one km time trials were held in coordination with the Grand Prix. Meanwhile, the date is changed from late June to early July:

The race was again moved back to late July in May, and Louis Chevrolet driving a Marquette-Buick, and a Ford driven by Frank Kulick are listed as entrants. Marmon, Lozier and National are also listed a probable participants:

[Rob]

By June, 1911 Ford has shipped a racer to France, and Chevrolet and his Marquette-Buick are a no-show:

Things are about to get interesting.

[Rob]

I had the advantage of recognizing the reinforcement and drain hole on the engine bottom of the wrecked racer as the same trademarks of Ford Special racers (thank you Mark H. for sending the photo). Gaston Plaintiff, Ford New York branch manager let the cat out of the bag with this statement to the N.Y. Tribune about the racer Ford was shipping. If the Ford motor had a 4 1/2 by 4 3/4 inch bore/stroke, it was about 300 cubic inches.

However, the Grand Prix had been moved to late July, and Kulick and FMC were committed to other races in the U.S.. 1911 was Ford's busiest racing year, and FMC attained the 5th most victories in the U.S. that year among all automakers. Unfortunately, things were not going to go as planned for the French Ford manager.

[John Warren]

Well Rob, I'm still on the hook.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Rob, I am looking forward to your insights on that engine!

While my French is woefully inadequate for any real translation of that newspaper, what amount I did understand looks to be quite interesting!

Thank you for sharing all this.

[Rob]

Henri Depasse enters his Ford Special in the Light Car Race (Coupe des Voiturettes
25 June 1911), one of several events over the next month. A Delage wins the 387 mile race:

However, Depasse is prevented from participating in the race. The reason? The Ford is determined not to be stock, running without fenders, and required to take on 400 more lbs. to be eligible. While the statement "we're making racers, not trucks" is attributed to Henry Ford, that statement doesn't appear anywhere in print during Ford's racing years. But, this is second time a Ford racer is denied entry to an event due to being too light. The first time occurred a year before in the 1910 Elgin (Indiana) Road Race:

The winning Delage:

Results: Ford T - car not eligible

Things are going to get worse before they get better...........

[Quickm007]

Thank you sharing this with us.

I found a picture of Mathis at his wedding at LeMans in 1913.

mathis-noces.jpg (79.79 KiB) Viewed 7474 times

[Quickm007]

On June 26, 1913, Émile Mathis married Marie-Jeanne-Alice Boyer.

He had to give up at the Grand Prix de France 1921 (only personal participation in the event of A.C.F.), Then "Lahms" 5 won for him the Grand Prix of A.C.F. less than 400 kg in 1923 (doubled the mark), and 1924 (tripled) 6.

In the inter-war years, he became one of the largest French car manufacturers (the fourth by the importance of his production behind Citroën, Renault and Peugeot) with popular Mathis cars and renowned for their economy. use (the slogan of the brand was "Weight, that's the enemy").
Ettore Bugatti & Emile Mathis (1904), plaque on the Rue de la Nuée Bleue in Strasbourg.
To cope with the great crisis of the thirties, he joined forces with Ford in 1934 to form the car company Matford. Association dissolved in 1941.

The flag of the US Navy
As soon as France fell into the hands of the Germans, during the Second World War, he left France for the United States, taking with him the plans of his factory, which he sent to the Americans to bomb at the strategic points so to destroy the production of ammunition and aircraft engines that the Germans had launched and created a new company called Matam Corporation (Matam for MAthis America) to continue the war effort with the Allies by producing war material, including a an impressive quantity of shells for the US Navy, which earned him the decoration of the five-star E flag.
Returning to France in July 1946, he tried to rebuild and restart his factories, but old and without descendants, he ceased his activities little by little. In second weddings, on November 30, 1950, he married Jeanne-Marie-Marguerite Donnefort.

In 1953, the assets of the Strasbourg factories were sold to Citroën.

He died accidentally on August 3, 1956 in Geneva, falling by the window of his hotel. He is buried in the cemetery of Passy, Paris, August 8, 1956.

Émile Mathis is another world war hero which he will not very well know.

Mario

[Rob]

Undeterred by his failure to gain entry into the light car race, Henry Depasse and his Ford Special were still entered in the main event, the French Grand Prix. The race was scheduled for the 23rd of July. This note ran in the Tacoma (WA) Times, mis-stating that Kulick was the driver scheduled to race the Ford in the French race. Ford was the only U.S. automaker to enter the well known event:

Unfortunately, six days before the Grand Prix while training on the course, Henri Depasse and his mechanician lost a tire, careening into a tree. The mechanician was killed instantly and the car a total wreck:

The Ford was entered in the free for all class. This N.Y. Times piece ran the day of the race and reports on the race and the fatal accident:

This report claims the Ford was doing 75 mph at the time of the accident:

This is the second fatality related to a driver or mechanic of a Ford during Henry Ford's racing tenure that spanned from Sweepstakes in 1901 through 1912. The other was Frank Day, driving one of Ford's early creations, 999 and Arrow, at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds track in 1903.

This is not the end of Ford racing in France. As with many things in life, just when we thought there was nothing good to come of something, a few pleasant surprises await Depasse and the Ford Special racer.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Lots of fascinating history. One thing for certain, then or now, automobile racing ain't for sissies! That Ford light racer was sure a mess. 75 mph and two trees can do that to a car!

[Rob]

Thanks for the notes Wayne. I knew Ford had entered a racer in the 1911 and 1912 Grand Prix. I didnt' know "the rest of the story" regarding being foiled by weight restrictions in one race and the destruction of the racer before the big event. And, I didn't know the Ford was one of the special racers.

Although the Ford Special wasn't allowed to run in the light car race, it did participate in two other events. One was the kilometer speed trial. Below is an excerpt from "The Autombile" with photos of the class winners and brief mention of how the Ford did in the trial. The Ford is pictured on the bottom left, and the all class trial winner in the right center photo. Our Ford made a 1K speed of 69 mph.

Next, the Phoenix and end.

[Novice]

Life in the fast lane is often short. But Hat's off to the risk takers, who pushed their cars, boats, trains and planes to the limit helping pave the way for the rest of us. Who enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice in safer more advanced transportation.

[Rob]

The sun had not set on the diminutive little Ford racer. Three weeks after looking like this:

Henri Depasse was racing again, in one of the most famous Hill climbs in Europe, the Course de Côte de Mont Ventoux, or Mont Ventoux hill climb.

http://www.rallycross-photo.com/heuvelk ... t-ventoux/

In this photo Depasse is ascending the 13.4 mile hill climb in early August, 1911 in his rebuilt Ford Special, less than a month after it was "destroyed."

First place went to Georges Dryder, driving his 100 horse Cottin-Desgouttes:

IMG_1121.JPG (41.37 KiB) Viewed 7331 times

Second place in all classes, and 1st. in it's class, Henri Depasse in his Ford Special:

If interested, take a YouTibe ride on this famous hill in France:

https://youtu.be/zzc2ugMoujY

I'll followup later with pics from the 1911 hill climb, and articles and advertising.

[Rob]

The winning car still exists today:

https://youtu.be/0FhMbzLdHy8

Motor Age:

France is surprised by the Ford's latest model:

"Automobile" magazine carried the story, with results and photos of the Cottin and Ford:

Tomorrow I'll finish with a few competing car photos and stories.

[Rob]

Competitors used the Grand Prix and Mont Ventoux events to advertise, and Ford was not an exception:

The winning Cottin-Desgouttes:

Second Place Ford:

Gregoire: