Louisette Texier

 

Louisette (right) with Annie Soisbault and Germaine Rouault

Louisette Texier was an Armenian-French driver and rally navigator in the 1950s and ‘60s. 

Her ten-year driving career began when she was in her mid-forties and running her own clothes shop. She had been born in central Turkey to Armenian parents and her birth name was Arpine Hovanessian. Evacuated to Greece and then to Marseille, she escaped the 1915 Armenian genocide which claimed her father. Her mother also survived, but the two did not meet one another again until Arpine was an adult. At the age of 15, she left school and became a showgirl in Paris. This may well have been when she changed her name. She would have been a contemporary to the likes of Helle Nice and perhaps saw her compete in the Coupe des Artistes. A much later meeting with Grand Prix driver Jean Behra during a visit to Montlhery in 1955 is said to have been her inspiration to take up motorsport herself.

An ambitious competitor nicknamed the Bulldozer, her first major rally was the 1958 Acropolis, which she tackled in a Simca Aronde Montlhery model. This was a car she was already familiar with, having co-driven for Germaine Rouault in one for the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally. She had raced a slightly different model on track during the same season, finishing sixth in class in the Coupes de Vitesse at Montlhery. Later in the year, she was thirteenth in the Coupe de Salon, held at the same circuit.

The 1956 races were the only times she took to the circuits for dedicated races, but she got more experience of the French tracks during the Tour de France. She entered four times between 1961 and 1964, as both co-driver to Annie Soisbault and named driver. In 1961, she drove an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and in 1964, a Jaguar MkII. Her co-driver both times was Marie-Louise Mermod of Switzerland. On the other two occasions she navigated for Annie Soisbault, also in a Jaguar. 

The Monte Carlo Rally was another favourite. She first entered in 1959, still driving a Simca Aronde. Louisette and co-driver Francoise Archambault narrowly missed the cut to enter the final leg and finished 106th overall. She switched to a Renault Dauphine in 1960, but she and Helene Cherret did not finish. Driving an Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Renault 8 respectively, she entered again in 1961 and 1964. 

As well as events, Louisette was quite loyal to team-mates. Between 1960 and 1963, she co-drove for Annie Soisbault in the Tour de France and in French rallies such as the 1960 Stuttgart-Charbonnieres event, where they shared an Alfa Romeo. Marie-Louise (or Mary Lou) Mermod was another regular colleague; she navigated for Louisette in the 1962 Monte and the 1964 Tour de France, then Louisette returned the favour for the Geneva Rally in 1964. They were 30th in an Alfa Romeo.

Louisette was also a participant in the Paris-St. Raphaël womens' rally, in which she used a Renault Dauphine in 1962.

Her last rally was the Rallye du Maroc in 1968. She drove a Renault 8 Gordini but joined a lengthy list of non-finishers.

She died aged 108 in 2021. In her final years, she achieved some fame in France due to her great age, adventurous life and wartime heroics in the French resistance, helping to hide Jewish families. She worked in womenswear retail until she was 92 and enjoyed karting with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren when she was even older.

For an interview with Louisette as an old lady, click here.

Image copyright Le Monde

Michele Vallet

 

Michèle Vallet is a rally driver who competed in France in the 1970s. 

She drove an Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider in 1971, and won her class in the Paris-St. Raphael women’s rally, finishing fifth overall. She was also eleventh in the Alpine Rally, 15th in the Mont Blanc and 20th in the Cevenole Rally. Only an accident in the Tour de France Auto was a disappointment.

For a couple of years, she competed less frequently, although she was a regular in the Mont Blanc Rally. She used a Fiat 127 and an Alpine-Renault A110. During this time, she also navigated for her husband Roger Vallet, who usually drove a Fiat. They did three major rallies together: Monte Carlo in 1975 and 1976, and the 1975 Morocco Rally. The couple had been active in rallying since at least 1969 and their early cars included a Simca. Michèle may also have done some hillclimbs with Roger.

Later, she drove a more powerful Alfa 2000 GTV. It was in this car that she finished the 1976 Mont Blanc Rally in 20th place, from 63 finishers. Her second Tour Auto gave her a 24th place in September. 

A couple of years in an Opel Kadett followed. She used this car in two Monte Carlo rallies, finishing 71st in 1978 after recording a DNF in 1977. Her best result in this car was a 21st place in the 1977 Tour Auto.

The last car that she used in major rallies was a less powerful Autobianchi A112 Abarth, a car that would surprisingly become popular in rallies. She entered the Monte and the Tour Auto in it, but did not finish either.

During her career, Michèle remained loyal to a couple of co-drivers, including Monique Rodt who sat beside her on and off between 1971 and 1977, and Martine Peirone.

Unusually, she was never part of the Aseptogyl setup, preferring to compete on her own account.

(Image copyright user “thais66” from Caradisiac’s Forum Auto)

Nadege Ferrier (Washer)

 

Nadege (left) with Gilberte Thirion and the Renault Dauphine

Nadege Ferrier, also known as Nadege Washer, was a Swiss driver who competed extensively in sportscar events in Europe in the 1950s. 

She began competing in hillclimbs, something she would return to throughout her career.

From 1954, she often partnered Gilberte Thirion in races and rallies, co-driving her to victory in the 1956 Tour de Corse. She had been an effective co-driver to Gilberte since 1954, when she helped pilot her Gmund Porsche 356 to sixth overall in the Randonnee des Routes Blanches in Belgium and fourth in the Soleil-Cannes Rally. The two women probably met via family connections; Nadege’s first husband Jacques Washer was a sometime rally driver and a cousin to Olivier Gendebien, Le Mans winner, team-mate and boyfriend of Gilberte for some time.

She and Gilberte shared cars, including the Tour de Corse Renault Dauphine and the Porsche 356 she drove on the 1960 Nürburgring 1000km. Their first major race together was the 1955 Mille Miglia, driving a Gordini T15S. Gilberte owned the car jointly with Annie Bousquet, who was down as the car’s entrant and had shared it since 1954, but had largely distanced herself from Gilberte by now. 

They travelled extensively together, taking the Dauphine to Sebring for the 1957 12 Hour race and finishing 35th, second in class. They were supported by the Renault factory.

She sometimes raced with other drivers, like when she and esteemed journalist Bernard Cahier contested the 1956 Mille Miglia in a Dauphine. She had intended to compete with Gilberte, but her usual team-mate decided quite late on to tackle the Italian classic by herself. Nadege knew that Cahier, another recipient of a works Dauphine, was looking for a co-driver and the pair joined forces.

The Tour de France Auto was one of her favourite events and she entered at least five times, between 1958 and 1962. Her best finish was sixth in 1961, assisted by Ginette Derolland. She excelled in long-distance multi-stage road races and was fourth in the 1959 Mille Miglia. Her car, a Porsche 356, was the first non-Ferrari home.

The 356 remained her favoured personal car for the rest of her career, at least when she was driving herself.

After Gilberte retired, Nadege continued to compete. She and Paul Frere raced a 356 in the 1959 Nürburgring 1000km, coming in 21st. The same year, she partnered the flamboyant French driver, Annie Soisbault, for the Monte Carlo Rally. Annie was part of the Triumph team that year.

The following year, she partnered Heinz Schiller, driving for Ecurie Leman. They were 16th in the 1960 Nurburgring 1000km and fifth in the 2000cc GT class. Unfortunately, the pair parted ways after the Trophee d’Auvergne at Clermont-Ferrand. Nadege had a big crash in the team’s 356B and it was severely damaged.

Back in her own Porsche, she did another Tour de France with Annie Spiers and then went on to the best result of her career: second in the Coupes du Salon at Montlhery. 

Later in her career, she also returned to hillclimbing, and was seventh in the 1961 Col de la Faucille event.

Gabrielle Renault

A Renault R8 Gordini from 1966, similar to those rallied by Gabrielle

Gabrielle Renault, often known as Gaby, competed in European rallies in the 1960s. She was the winner of the Paris-St. Raphael women’s rally in 1961. 

She competed on at least two Monte Carlo Rallies, winning the European Championship Coupe des Dames in 1961. She recorded another finish in 1966, starting from Lisbon with Colette Gassier who was her regular navigator that season. The team was captured on a Pathe newsreel film that focused on the British entrants. They tackled the Rally dei Fiori in the Gordini later in the year and finished 14th. 

The Paris-St. Raphael appears to have been one of her favourite events. Following her 1961 victory, she was second in the 1962 running, driving a Dauphine. She was third in the same car in 1963.

She usually drove Renault cars, normally a Gordini-engined Dauphine or R8 for rallies, but she also competed in hillclimbs in other cars. In 1964 she raced an Alpine A108 in the Mont Ventoux hillclimb, finishing 16th. The A108 was based on the Dauphine, but with a sporty fibreglass body. The following year, she drove a Ford Lotus Cortina at the Mont Ventoux climb and was twelfth. 

Among the other cars she sampled are an Alpine-Renault A110 at the 1969 Ronde Cevenole and a rotary-engined NSU Ro80 in the 1970 Tour de France. This proved less successful; she and Francoise Brun were disqualified for being too slow. 

Her career continued until at least 1972, when she entered the Mont Ventoux hillclimb again in an Alpine A110, finishing 37th.

Gabrielle always appeared on entry lists as “Madame Renault”. Her own family name is unclear and it is equally vague as to whether she was married to a member of the Renault motoring family. 

(Image copyright Hagerty Insurance)

Madeleine Pochon

Madeleine, her navigator and the 4CV in 1954

Madeleine Pochon was one of Europe’s top female drivers in the mid-1950s, winning the Coupe des Dames on the Monte Carlo Rally twice.

Frenchwoman Madeleine first appears on the major entry lists in 1951, as a co-driver to L. Pochon in the Tulip Rally, driving a Renault. The driver was presumably her husband. In September, she may have taken part in the Tour de France in a Peugeot 203, alongside a driver called “Madame Mazade”. This may have been Jeanine Mazade who acted as a co-driver later.

In 1952, Madeleine entered the Monte Carlo Rally and was second in the Coupe des Dames standings, driving a Simca Aronde. She was 104th overall. Not long after, she was third in the Paris-St. Raphael Rally, in a Renault. At this stage, she was still switching seats and she partnered Irene Terray for the brutal Liege-Rome-Liege marathon in a Peugeot, named as the navigator. They were 24th.

Her second Tour de France ended in a 17th place, from 57 finishers. She was part of a three-woman crew in a Renault 4CV 1063 with Mesdames Boucher and Trott, whose forenames are not given. Mme Boucher was a regular driver and co-driver throughout the 1950s and beyond.

Madeleine won her first Monte Carlo Coupe des Dames in 1953, driving a Renault 4CV to 49th place overall. Irene Terray took her turn as navigator this time.

As well as this, she competed on the Alpine Rally in a Renault, probably the 4CV. Her result has been lost, but she did not win an Alpine Cup. The fuel pump in her car gave up part-way through and she was penalised for being late to a time control.

That year, she entered a rare circuit race, taking on the 12 Hours of Hyères with Jane Bagarry. They were tenth overall in a Renault 4CV, fourth in class. This appears to have been her only major circuit race.

In 1954, she repeated her Monte Carlo achievement and finished seventh overall. Her co-driver was Lise Renaud.

She was a career-best 13th in the Tour de France in September, driving a 1900cc Alfa Romeo with Marie Honoré.

She switched to the Alfa Romeo for the 1955 rally season and entered the Monte once more, although she was not the top lady this time. Her great rival Sheila van Damm finished five places above her in eleventh, while she and Marie Honoré were 16th. This was still an achievement, as she had come off the road in the Alfa and gone over the time limit on at least one stage.

Sheila and Madeleine had been vying for the Monte Coupe des Dames for the past three years. In her autobiography, Sheila praised Madeleine’s ability.

That year, she is also listed as an entrant in the Mille Miglia, driving the same car.

1955 was to be her last season. In October that year, she died suddenly from a heart attack, aged 36.

Madeleine is much less well-known than her chief rival Sheila van Damm now, possibly due to the shortness of her career and the fact that she rarely competed outside France. Sheila van Damm noted that Madeleine did not speak English and looked “anything but strong”. She was apparently uninterested in the European Ladies’ Championship and only entered the rallies she liked. Had she been more interested in forging an international career, she would probably have gone much further and won many more awards.

(Image from http://motorcanalsbalil.no-ip.info)

"Charlotte" (Cécile de Montgolfier)

"Charlotte" in 1975

“Charlotte” was a French rally driver of the early 1970s. She never used her given name in connection with motorsport. She was from the Ardèche region, and worked as an ambulance driver.

Her career began in hillclimbs, in a VW, and later, an Alpine-Renault 1100 and a Porsche 911. Her rally career started in the navigator’s seat in 1970. The Paris-St.Raphaël Rally is described as her first event, although the name of the driver, and the make of the car, is lost. They did not finish, following a roll.

In 1972, she started driving herself, usually in an Alpine-Renault A110 Berlinette. Although she always drove as an amateur, she received sponsorship from Esso. This, and her choice of car, has led to some confusion between her and the drivers of Team Aseptogyl. Charlotte was never an Aseptogyl team member.

Her biggest achievement in 1972 was probably her win in the National class of the Paris-St. Raphaël Rally. She also won two other class awards, driving an Alpine-Renault 1600 with Annie Hanriot.

By 1973, she was tackling some of the big French events, including the Tour de Corse, in a Gordini-engined Renault 12. She did not finish. That year, she was also the runner-up in the Paris-St. Raphaël Rally, in an Alpine-Renault. With Marie-José Hommel, she competed in the Tour de France, but her attempt ended at the Montjuic Park circuit, due to problems with the Alpine during a speed test. In the same car, she was twelfth in the Ronde Cévenole.

In 1974, she was fourth in the Paris-St. Raphaël, and competed in the Tour de France, in the Alpine-Renault, although she did not finish. Her best result was a 15th place in the Rallye du Var. Her other rallies, including the Tour de Corse, mostly ended in DNFs, although she was seventh in class in the Mont Blanc Rally. She did better in hillclimbs, winning several Coupes des Dames and placing well in her class. Another try at the Tour de France led to more frustration, after a spin at Magny-Cours, again during a speed trial, put her out of the running.

In 1975, she tried circuit racing, in the Coupe Renault Elf Gordini. This decision was partly motivated by her amateur status; rallying, at the level of which she was capable, required time for recce and preparations, which circuit racing did not. Charlotte was one of two female drivers in the Coupe, driving a modified Renault 5, the other being Joëlle Pasquier. She was thirteenth on the Le Mans Bugatti circuit, and eighth at Albi. Later in the season, she planned to team up with Corinne Tarnaud for another Tour Auto, in a Porsche 911 this time.

Sadly, this was not to be. Charlotte was killed in a road traffic accident, whilst attending another car crash with her ambulance, in September 1975. She was 29 years old.

(Image from http://pilotos-muertos.com/)

Marie Laurent

Marie with her Aseptogyl-sponsored Hemicuda in 1974

Marie Laurent was a French driver who was most known for her membership of Team Aseptogyl, and her performances on-track in a Chrysler Hemicuda in the 1970s.

She first appears on the entry lists in 1970, competing in hillclimbs, although details of this are sketchy. Her car was a Simca.

Next, she raced on the circuits, winning the French Simca Challenge in 1971. Her car was a CG Proto. Early in the season, she raced the car in some rounds of the Championnat des Circuits in France, finishing fifth at Albi, and tenth in the Coupe de Printemps at Montlhéry. As well as providing her with her first championship, the Challenge brought her into contact with Jean-Claude Géral, the 1970 winner, who sold her a 1970 Hemi-engined Plymouth Barracuda, known as a Hemicuda and used to great effect by the French Chrysler team.  The pair raced the car together at least once, at Magny-Cours, during a round of the Championnat des Circuits.  Driving solo, later in the season, she was third at Paul Ricard and second at Montlhéry in the Hemicuda, behind Géral both times.

In 1972, she drove the enormous, 7000cc Hemicuda in the Championnat des Circuits. Although she was unable to match the dominant sportscars of the series, she was one of the front-runners in Group 6 and the National section. She won at least one race, the Coupe de Salon on the old Montlhéry circuit, and was second in at least one other, behind Frank Alesi in a Chevrolet Camaro. As well as the Championnat, she competed in hillclimbs, finishing second in class at Mont Ventoux and third overall at Chamrousse, in the Hemicuda. 

The results for the National part of the 1973 Championnat des Circuits are proving very hard to find. It seems likely that Marie raced the Hemicuda in at least some of the rounds. Hillclimbing was definitely still on her agenda, and she competed at Ampus in a Ford Capri, finishing in 39^th place.

For the first part of 1974, she was once more one of the front-runners in the Championnat des Circuits. She was second in the Group 1 race at Montlhéry, fourth at Nogaro, then second again at Montlhéry, after a battle with Marie-Claude Beaumont and Henri Greder, both in Opel Commodores. Apart from one more non-finish at Montlhéry, her season in the series ended there. The Hemicuda was not the force it once was, compared to the Alfa Romeos and Opel Commodores that now dominated. She was tenth in the championship.

Despite the big American car being a little outdated on the circuits, it still remained competitive on the hills. This year, Marie competed in hillclimbs as part of Team Aseptogyl, Bob Neyret’s all-female, toothpaste-promoting rally and race team. For the Tour de France, she paired up with another Aseptogyl driver, Marianne Hoepfner, in an Alpine A310. They were thirteenth, and won the Coupe des Dames.

In June, she was part of another all-female team, for Le Mans this time. She was part of Christine Beckers’ Ecurie Seiko Scato, sponsored by a watch firm. The other team members were Christine Beckers herself, and Yvette Fontaine, both Belgian. Their car was a Chevron B23. They were seventeenth, and won the 2000cc class, which was the best finish for an all-female team since the 1930s.

After 1974, she raced less frequently. Despite her success, she did not return to Le Mans, and Team Aseptogyl concentrated more on rallying as the 1970s progressed. She took part in some occasional road races and hillclimbs, in different cars. In 1977, she was 29^th in the Ronde Cévenole, driving an Alpine 1300. The latest result available for her is a 20^th place in the 1979 Mont Dore hillclimb. Unusually, she was in a single-seater, a Ralt RT1.

Some time around then, she married Jean-Pierre Gabreau, another racing driver, and had a daughter. She died in 2015, at the age of 71, after having been ill for a long time.

(Image from http://club.caradisiac.com/motor-head)

Annie Soisbault (de Montaigu)

Annie competing in the Alpine Rally in her TR3

Annie Soisbault competed in rallies and races across Europe, between 1956 and 1969. She had always been interested in sports from an early age, but her first love was tennis: she was one of France’s leading junior players of her time, winning seven titles. She continued to play professionally as a senior, and is meant to have used some of her winnings to buy her first sports car, a Delahaye.

Her first international event was the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally, in a Simca. Her role was as a “second driver”, more or less a back-seat passenger to Germaine Rouault and Louisette Texier. She remained on the back seat from Munich until the Ardeche, where the team struggled with heavy snow. Annie demanded a go at the wheel, and surprised her more experienced team-mates by setting some good times and passing several other drivers. However, her heroics were not enough to save them, and they were still unclassified.

In 1957, she took to the stages in her own Triumph TR3. The biggest rally she entered (and not strictly a rally) was the Tour de France, and she was 21st overall, driving with Michèle Cancre. There were 23 finishers that year. In the same car, she entered the Coupes de Salon at Montlhéry, and was eighth in her race.

In a Panhard Dyna belonging to her co-driver, Monique Bouvier, she also entered the Mille Miglia. They lasted a little over half of the distance, before a problem with a piston put them out.

She became a Triumph works driver in 1958, using a TR3. The story goes that the Triumph motorsport team were considering Annie or Pat Moss for a works drive. Annie told them that she was not interested in working with indecisive people, and they signed her forthwith. It is unclear how much truth is in this story. Annie had a talent for self-promotion; an example of this is her appearance in the promotional Shell film “Coupe des Alpes”, which featured some competition footage and some staged sequences, and was shown on television. She was also regarded by some of her peers as “difficult”.

That year, she seems to have finished the Monte Carlo Rally with Tish Ozanne, albeit unplaced. She also entered the Alpine Rally, but retired due to mechanical problems. The Tour de France was a happier hunting ground. She was fourteenth overall with Michèle Cancre.

In 1959, she continued with the TR3, coming to the UK for the RAC Rally. Co-driven by Val Domleo, she finished, but was unplaced. It had been a similar story on the Monte, although Nadège Ferrier took the co-driver’s seat. Once again, she did not finish the Alpine Rally. Her biggest result was her win on the Paris-St. Raphaël women’s rally, which contributed towards her European Ladies’ Rally Championship title. This award was not without controversy; Annie seems to have exploited a loophole in the rules about the number of female participants in an event for a Coupe des Dames to be awarded, non-starting on some rallies in order to deny Ladies’ points to Pat Moss, her main rival apart from Ewy Rosqvist, who was joint winner. This behaviour did not endear her to other competitors, or to observers. 

In more sportscar-oriented competition, she was thirteenth in the Tour de France, once more with Michèle Cancre as co-driver.

1960 saw her association with Triumph coming to an end. She failed yet again to finish the Alpine Rally, this time with Annie Spiers. Throughout her career, Annie preferred to work with other female drivers. This was true in both rallies and races. This year, she revisited her partnership with Michèle Cancre for the Tour de France, and was 16th. Their car was a Porsche 356B. Earlier in the season, driving solo, Annie had attempted the Coupes de Vitesse at Montlhéry, and was thirteenth in a Triumph. At some point during 1960, she travelled to Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, and was seventh in a sportscar race, driving a Porsche 1600. This season, she also sampled single-seater racing in a Lola Formula Junior, which she used in some Formula Three races in France.

Increasingly, she favoured sportscar events and road races over stage rallying, and this seems to have been her main focus for most of the 1960s. She took part in the Tour de France on several more occasions, with a best result of sixth in 1963, driving a Jaguar, the same car in which she had failed to finish in 1962. She also scored her best result in the Monte Carlo Rally, fourteenth, in a DKW, with P. Gele, but seemingly as a navigator.

She was fourth in the 3000cc GT class the following year, in a Ferrari 250 GTO. Her overall position was fourteenth, and her co-driver was Nicole Roure. Driving a different Ferrari, an LM run by Ecurie Francorchamps, she was 18th in the Paris 1000km, driving with Guy Ligier. Her main car that year was a Porsche 904. In it, she was thirteenth in the Rheims 1000km, with Claude Dubois, and sixth in the Paris GP at Montlhéry. She is known to have entered the Dakar 6 Hours, but the result has been lost.

The Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari was her main mount for 1965. In it, she entered the Monza 1000km, Spa 500km and Rheims 12 Hours, but did not finish any of them, due to mechanical failures and one accident, at Rheims. Her only good result came in the Paris GP, where she won the GT class in her own Ferrari GTO. In the same GTO, she also attempted a round of the French national rally championship, but did not finish.

She drove a Porsche 906 in 1966, staying in France this time. She is known to have entered the Coupe de Vitesse and the Coupe du Salon, but the results are not forthcoming. A scheduled appearance in the Paris 1000km did not happen. After this, Annie became very much an occasional racer, and concentrated on her professional role as managing director of an upmarket motor dealership, importing Aston Martin and other marques to France. The business belonged to her husband, the Marquis de Montaigu.

Her last major appearances were at the Mont Ventoux hillclimb. She had been a regular at the big climbs since at least 1960, having crashed her Ferrari GTO there in 1965. In ‘66, she was not among the major finishers, but did become the first female driver to average over 100kph, driving a Porsche 906. In 1967, she won the Ladies’ Cup in the same car. She retired completely from motorsport in 1969.

Annie was a fascinating character, a sporting adventuress more in the style of Hellé Nice and Kay Petre, than her contemporaries. She is famous for her pet cheetah, which she sometimes brought with her to rallies for photo opportunities, and for her reputation as a bonne vivante, who enjoyed the finer things in life. Her furious competitive streak was not enough to land her the overall victories of a Pat Moss or Rosemary Smith, but her media-mindedness ensured that she was noticed everywhere.

She died in September 2012, aged 78.

Thanks to members of the TNF forum for information.

(Photo from http://www.forum-auto.com/sport-auto/histoire-du-sport-auto/sujet343197-2800.htm)

"Les Autres", 1950 - 1980

Patsy Burt in her McLaren-Oldsmobile

During the revival of Speedqueens, I came across a number of drivers who did not fit well into the categories I had chosen for the site. Some of them had competed in several different disciplines, making it hard to place them in one. Others raced in slightly obscure disciplines, or in those I had decided not to cover fully.

In time, some of these entries may be moved to "better homes". Below is a list of jills-of-all-trades, non-US stockcar racers, speed eventers and entrants in events like the Tour de France, where it was unclear what their normal category was.

This page has been split chronologically: to see "Les Autres" after 1980, click here. Pat Coundley now has her own post, as do Gloria Castresana Waid, Jenny Birrell, Louisette Texier, Jenny Tudor-Owen, Anita Liden, Rita Rampinelli and Judy Charlton.

Katja Ajak (Stockhausen?) - enigmatic driver active in Germany in the early 1950s. She drove a BMW-engined Condor in the German Formula 3 Championship in 1951, finishing one race at Hockenheim. She is also pictured as a driver in the Baden-Württemburg rally that year, although the model of her car, her navigator’s name and her finishing position are not known. In 1952, her name reappears as an entry into the Glockenspitz hillclimb, driving a Scampolo. After this, she seems to disappear from the scene.

Doris Bleakley - Irish driver who won multiple editions of the 500 Motor Club’s annual ladies’ race in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She first appears on the entry lists in 1957, driving a Crossle-bodied Ford Special belonging to her husband, Brian. She finished second in the 500MC’s Open Handicap, having won her heat. This was the first year that the Ladies’ Race was held at Kirkistown and she was tipped as a winner, despite not having raced before. She drove a Willment Ford for the 1959 ladies’ event, as well as entering the main Baird Memorial race. She won the ladies’ race. As well as racing at Kirkistown, she competed in hillclimbs, including championship events at Craigantlet.

Christina Boulay - campaigned a Renault-Alpine A108 in France in 1963 and a Glas 1204 TS in 1964, including the Tour de France Auto. She did not finish on either occasion. Her co-driver was Michel Legourd in 1963 and Jean-Francois Piot in 1964.

Monique Bouvier - owner and driver of a Dyna Panhard in the mid-1950s, active in France at the time. Her biggest event was probably the 1957 Mille Miglia, in which she co-drove the Panhard with Annie Soisbault, although they did not finish, due to mechanical problems. That year, she also did some circuit racing with Annie, finishing second to her at a promotional race meet for Esso at Montlhéry. Previously, she is known to have participated in an Economy Run with Louisette Texier, and may have done some other rallies with Louisette, or one of the group of French lady drivers which included Louisette and Annie.

Margot Brådhe - mostly competed as a rally co-driver in the 1960s, in Swedish rallies. Among the drivers she sat beside are Barbara Johansson and Ursula Wirth, who was more usually a navigator herself. She also raced on the circuits occasionally. In 1959, she drove an Auto Union 1000S in the Canonloppet round of the Swedish Touring Car Championship. In 1960, she made another guest appearance, driving a Saab 93 and finishing eleventh at Skarpnäck Airfield. Margot’s daughter Liz was involved in rallying, and her grand-daughter is Jonna Eson Brådhe, another rally driver.

Patsy Burt - took part in some circuit races in the 1950s, as well as acting as a navigator for Anne Hall in rallies on occasion. She drove both Cooper single-seaters and Jaguar and Aston-Martin sportscars, among others. She raced the Cooper up to Formula 2 level, and drove in European sports races. However, she is best known for speed events, her sole focus from 1959 onwards. She was British Sprint Champion in 1970, held the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb course record from 1967 to 1978 and won the Brighton Speed Trial outright in 1968. Her Brighton record stood for seven years. Her most famous car was a McLaren-Oldsmobile single-seater special. During her career, she won 42 events outright, in the UK and Europe. Some of her speed records still stand today. She died in 2001.

Michèle Cancre (d’Orgeix) - active in motorsport in the mid-late 1950s and early 1960s, based in France. She was Annie Soisbault’s co-driver for the Tour de France between 1957 and 1961, with a best finish of twelfth in 1961. Previously, during the 195s and 1954 seasons, she was an early exponent of stock car racing, and travelled to London to participate in races at New Cross. She also raced in France, alongside her husband. As well as motorsport, Michèle competed in showjumping throughout her life, and was a multiple French champion. She is sometimes credited on entry lists as “Madame Cancre”.

Monique Celis - Belgian driver who took part in races and rallies in Europe , in the 1960s. She was 20th in the 12 Hours of Huy in 1964, driving a Volvo. In 1968, she was part of a team for the Rally of Portugal with “Chavan”, in a BMW 1600, but it is unclear whether she drove or navigated. On the circuit racing side, she drove a Volvo 122 in the Belgian Touring Car Championship in 1964, and was fifth in class in the Belgian Cup. It is likely that she entered other events at around the same time.

Lorraine Dubonnet – French driver who raced, rallied and broke records in the 1950s. She was from the Dubonnet liqueur family, and was the daughter of early racer, André Dubonnet. She often drove an Alfa Romeo, particularly the 1900 model. In 1953, she seems to have been quite active in the Italian women’s racing scene, and was second in the Como-Lieto Colle hillclimb, in the 1900. The same year, she broke an average speed record in the same car, at Montlhéry. Later in the year, she was third in the Tour de France, sharing the car with her son (or nephew?), also called André.  Paola della Chiesa counted her as one of the best female drivers of the time.

Alice Fergusson – one of Canada’s earliest female racing drivers. She drove a Fiat 500 in the British Empire Motor Club’s Spring Trophy in 1950, at Edenvale. She was fourteenth in the race. Later, she raced a Nash Metropolitan, in 1954, a Citroen and an Austin-Healey Sprite. Her best result was probably her third place in the Harewood Acres 4-Hour Relay in 1958. The car was a Citroen ID19. She was married to Jim Fergusson, a racer and promoter, and got into motorsport through him.

Frances Glenny - considered one of the pioneers of Irish women’s circuit racing, she first competed at the Ards road course in 1952, when she was 21. As well as circuit racing, she was a regular in hillclimbs in the 1950s. Early in her hillclimb career, she is reported to have crashed at the 1952 Hill of Sighs climb near Belfast, losing her shoes in the process. Later, in 1957, she drove a Ford. She became one of Doris Bleakley’s chief rivals for the 500 Motor Club’s annual Ladies’ Race at Kirkistown.

Luciana Guaschino - raced Alfa Romeos in Italy in the 1950s. In 1958, she was a Racing Club team-mate of Ada Pace and competed in the Flugplatzrennen Zeltweg GT race in August. Her car was an Alfa Giulietta SVZ. She used the same car in a hillclimb at Gaisberg only a little later. Pictures of her exist seated in the car at a startline in September that year, but it is unclear which event this is. She does not appear to have raced after 1958.

Wendy Hamblin – raced saloons, single-seaters and small sportscars in the UK in the 1960s. Her first car was a Cooper Formula Junior, which she mainly used for hillclimbs. Later, she used a Lotus 7 and a series of Minis in club races and speed events. In 1965, she was second in a handicap at Brands Hatch, sharing a Mini Cooper with her husband, Keith. She also competed at Goodwood. During this time, she became one of the early members of the BWRDC. From 1967, she raced a Shelby Cobra, winning her class in the Brighton Speed Trials. In 1971, her last year of competition, she and Keith raced a self-modified Diva sportscar, which they called the “Angood”. Wendy won the BWRDC’s racing championship.

Mercedes Hennerici - active in German motorsport in 1971. She was part of the Hennerici motorsport family, who also owned the Eifelland caravan company that sponsored several drivers, including Hannelore Werner, and a short-lived Formula One team. She was second in the 96-hour Marathon de la Route event at the Nürburgring, driving a BMW 2002 Ti with Heiz Hennerici, her father, and Helmut Kuhl. The same year, she drove in the Eifelland Rally, also held at the Nordschleife, with Wolfgang Schneider. Her car is not recorded, and she was not among the leaders. She does not appear to have competed after 1971.

Joyce Leavens – normally competed in hillclimbs, in cars including a Triumph TR2. She used this car at Brunton in 1954. However, she also did some circuit racing. The biggest race of her career was the 1953 Spa 24 Hours, which she entered with her husband, Barry, in a Jowett Javelin. They did not finish. As well as actively driving, she was a rally navigator, who sat alongside Nancy Mitchell in 1954, as well as other drivers, including a Marie Kelleher.

Viki Lincoln (Heppenstall) - racer and photographer most active in the 1960s. She began competing in 1960, taking part in speed trials and club races at Oulton Park, driving an Austin-Healey Sprite. Later, she tried her hand at rallycross, entering a Mini into an event in March 1968 as one of the first women to do so. This was not a success; she crashed during the first practice. In between, she co-drove for Elizabeth Jones in the 1963 Monte Carlo Rally, in a Mini. They did not finish.

Shelley Marten - raced mainly in southern England in 1961 and 1962. Her car was a distinctive red Alexander Turner MkI GT model. She was a semi-regular at Goodwood, and also raced at Silverstone and the more central circuits, scoring some class wins. She was noted for her consistency, only ever non-finishing once, during the 1961 Autosport 3 Hours at Snetterton, and that was due to a gearbox problem. Her career ended upon her marriage in 1962, when the Turner was sold.  

Beatrice (“Tilly”) Naylor (Shilling) - mostly known for racing motorcycles prior to WWII, and her work during the war as an aircraft engineer. Her motorcycling achievements included lapping Brooklands at over 100mph on a Norton. In the 1950s, she raced a Lagonda Rapier in the UK. Her best results were probably a pair of second places in handicap races at Goodwood and Silverstone in 1957. In 1956, she mostly drove in Ladies’ races, with a best finish of second at Goodwood. Later, she owned an Elva Formula Junior, but it was actually raced by her husband, George. She was an early member of the BWRDC.

Joëlle Pasquier – raced in the Elf Renault Gordini Cup one-make championship in France, in 1975. The following year, she was also involved in the championship, or at least a qualifying event for it, held at the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans. Later, in the 1980s, she raced powerboats, one of the first women to do so, before returning to motorsport for the Dakar in 1987. Her car was a Lada Niva, and she did not finish. She died in 2012, aged 62.

Malou Racle - rather obscure driver active in the 1960s, mostly in rallies. Different sources have her as French or Swiss. She first appears in 1960, driving a DKW Junior in the Monte Carlo Rally, with Marie Cantenot as navigator. In 1962, she raced a DKW Junior, belonging to herself, in the Nürburgring 500km, with Monika Wallraf. They were 30th overall, and sixth in the 850cc class. Later on in 1964, she reappears in the rally entry lists, in the navigator’s seat. She sat alongside Henri Ziegler in a Mini Cooper in 1964, and they entered, at least, the Monte Carlo and Geneva rallies together.  By 1967, she was still co-driving in a Mini Cooper, with Marie Descoust, in the Geneva Rally.

Gilberte Stempert - former ski champion who competed in races and rallies in the mid-1950s, usually driving a Dyna Panhard X. She is most known for her two single-handed attempts at the Mille Miglia, in 1955 and 1956. She was 116th in 1955, but did not finish in 1956. She used the same car for the 1956 Liège-Rome-Liège Rally. Earlier, she had competed in the 1953 Alpine Rally, in a Dyna Panhard X87. As well as rallies, she drove the Panhard in races in France. She continued to appear occasionally in rallies, more often as a navigator, towards the end of the decade, and used a Porsche 356 and a BMW, among other cars. She appeared in the 356 in the 1962 Paris-St. Raphaël Rally.

Francine Warein - active in French rallying and sportscar racing in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968 and 1969, she rallied a Triumph TR5 and TR6, mainly in France, although she also drove in the Rally of Portugal in at least one of those years. In 1969, she was tenth in the Rallye des Routes du Nord, in the TR5. This was probably her best rally result. That year, she also entered the AGACI 300 race at Montlhéry, and was 20th, and finished 27th in the Tour de France, both in the TR6. In 1970, she started racing a Lancia Fulvia, which she used in hillclimbs, and a second Tour de France. She and Paulette Delcros were 38th overall.

Ileana Zigraiova - Czech driver who raced a Renault Gordini R8 at Brno in 1966, sharing the car with Austrian, Karl Mörth. They were tenth overall, and second in class. She may well have done some more circuit racing, but she was probably more of a rally driver. From as early as 1962, she entered rallies in then-Czechoslovakia, usually in a Skoda to begin with. Her best result in a Skoda was probably a 20th place in the Czech Vysočinou Rally in 1962. Her best-ever result was ninth, in the 1967 Rallye Stavba Košice, in the Renault.  

(Image source unknown)