The Paris—St. Raphaël Rally

Madame Lietard

This rally was the premier female-only motorsport event for most of the twentieth century. In its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, it attracted works entries from the major manufacturers, and was contested and won by notable drivers like Claudine Trautmann, Marianne Hoepfner and Christine Beckers.

It was started in 1929 by the Count Edmé de Rohan-Chabot, and functioned much the same as contemporary rallies, with speed trials, navigational sections and driving tests. Its route ran between Paris and St. Raphaël in southern France, although there were changes over the forty or so years that it existed, on and off. The last rally was run in 1974, following a decline after the Count’s death in 1972.

Its early phase, prior to WWII, saw entries from drivers of the calibre of Lucy O’Reilly Schell, Amy Johnson, Betty Haig and Yvonne Simon. In 1932, a young Bugatti driver named Renée Friederich was killed on a hillclimb section. For most of the rest of its lifetime, the Rally thankfully avoided such tragedies. In 1969, Cathy Pitt was killed in a head-on crash on a road section, and Marguerite Accarie died in similar circumstances during the final special stage of the 1970 Rallye. Otherwise, the event remained free of such controversy.

Later, after the war, the next evolution of the event attracted the likes of Gilberte Thirion, Annie Soisbault and Lucette Pointet. Anny-Charlotte Verney, Pat Moss, Marie-Claude Beaumont and Michèle Mouton all competed, between then and its demise in 1974. In its last two years of existence, it counted towards the European Rally Championship.

The rally was briefly revived, once, in 1983. It ran in the area around St. Raphaël, and consisted of 16 special stages, over 2060km. The event was supported by Citroen, who were preparing to launch the Citroen Total Trophy for female drivers in 1984. It was dominated by Citroen Visas. The winner, Colette Perrier, drove one, as did the two drivers below her. The rally was not run again for the Trophy proper.

In 2000, the rally was revived as the Rallye des Princesses, a navigational test for female drivers in classic cars. It still attracts the attention of drivers such as Patricia Bertapelle and Vanina Ickx, but it is not the competitive international rally it once was.

Below is a list of outright winners of the original Rally, with class winners and top-three finishers where possible. Tracking down results for this event is very tricky, and the list is probably not complete. Gaps in results lists seem to suggest that the event did not run every year, although this is not necessarily the case. Frustratingly, navigators’ names and car models are often omitted from reports.

1929

1.       Germaine Lietard (Salmson)

2.       Lucy O’Reilly Schell (Talbot)

3.       “Madame Vivier” (Citroen)

50cc class: Estelle Lang (Rosengart)

1100cc class: Germaine Lietard, Marcelle Leblanc (Rally), Albertine Derancourt (Salmson)

1500cc class: Madame Heu (Citroen)

2000cc class: Lucy O'Reilly Schell

3000cc class: Madame Kiss (Whippet)

3000cc+ class: Maria la Caze Noronha (Oakland)

1930

1. Germaine Lietard (Salmson)

4-5hp class: Estelle Lang (Rosengart)

6-8hp class: Germaine Lietard

10hp class: Simone Gonnot (Citroen)

11-12hp class: "Madame Maillard" (Talbot)

13-17hp class: Renée Friederich (Bugatti)

18+hp class: "Mlle Rouanne" (Guyot)

1931

1.       Estelle Lang (Rosengart)

6-8hp class: Marcelle Leblanc (Peugeot)

9-10 hp class: Jeanne Conche (Mathis)

11-12hp class: Lucienne Radisse (Renault)

13-17hp class: "Mlle Ravel" (Amilcar)

17+hp class: Louise Lamberjack (Fiat)

Coupe de Vitesse: Renée Friederich (Bugatti)

1932

1.       Lucy O'Reilly Schell (Bugatti)

2.       Marcelle Michaud (Voisin)

3.       Germaine Lietard (Salmson)

5hp class: Simone des Forest (Rosengart)

6-8hp class: Claire Descollas (Amilcar)

9-10hp class: "Madame Obre"/"Madame Gaillard" (Salmson)

11-12hp class: Hellé-Nice (Bugatti T35)/Simone Duhamel (Ballot)

13-16hp class: Odette France (Renault)

17+hp class: Lucy O'Reilly Schell (Bugatti)

1933

1.       Marcelle Leblanc (Peugeot)

2.       Marcelle Girard (Delage)

3.       Marie-Jeanne Marinovitch (Voisin)

Coupe de Vitesse: Louise Lamberjack (Peugeot 301)

Braking and Acceleration tests: Louise Lamberjack (Peugeot 301)

Manufacturer’s Prize: Peugeot

6-8hp: Louise Lamberjack (Peugeot 301)

9-10hp: Odette Siko (Alfa Romeo)

11-12hp: “Mme Dubuc Taine” (Hotchkiss)

13-16hp: “Mme Panera” (Amilcar)

17+hp: Marie Stalter (Lorraine)

1934

"Madame Dubuc-Taine" (Hotchkiss) was named as the winner for a penalty-free finish and leading the efficiency and speed test standings.

Penalty points standings:

1.       “Madame Nenot” (Delahaye 138)

2.       Simone Gonnot (Delahaye 138)

6hp: Pamela Moy (MG)

8hp: Fernande Hustinx (Peugeot 301)

10hp: Enid Riddell (MG)

12hp: "Madame Dubuc-Taine" (Hotchkiss)

16hp: Gedon (Lorraine)

16hp+: “Madame Nenot” (Delahaye 138)

1935

1.       Olga Thibault (Peugeot 201)

2.       Germaine Rouault (Delahaye Sport)

3.       Lucy O’Reilly Schell (Delahaye Sport)

1936

1.       Germaine Rouault (Delahaye 135S)

2. Claire Descollas (Lancia)

3. "Madame Dubuc-Taine" (La Licorne)

<1100cc class: Pamela Moy (MG)

1100-1500cc class: Jackie Astbury (Singer)

1500-1800cc class: Madame Lievin (La Licorne)

1800-2200cc class: Madame Godfroy (Renault)

2200-3000cc class: Fernande Roux (Amilcar)

>3000cc class: Louise Lamberjack (Hotchkiss)

Coupe du President: Lucy O'Reilly Schell (Delahaye), winner of 500m speed trial at Montlhery and Pougues hillclimb.

1937

1.       Germaine Rouault (car not recorded, probably a Delahaye as she drove one elsewhere that year)

2.       Yvonne Simon (Hotchkiss Grand Sport)

3.       Simone des Forest (car not recorded)

1938

1. Betty Haig (MG PB) – Category A winner

2. Mrs AC (Phoebe) Lace (Talbot)

3. Claire Descollas (Lancia)

Suzanne Largeot (Simca) – Category B winner (4th overall)

1939

1.       Yvonne Simon (Hotchkiss Grand Sport)

2.       Germaine Rouault (Delahaye 135) – win in the Saint-Eutrope hillclimb section

3.       Betty Haig (MG)

Jarmila Kronbauerova (Jawa) - Class B and 750cc class win

Countess Pamela Moy (BMW) - 2200cc class win

Germaine Rouault (Delahaye 135) - over 3000cc class win

Betty Stresa (Simca-Fiat) - Concours d'Elegance win

1940

Hiatus for WWII. The event may have started again in 1947, although no results are known at present, or for any other dates prior to 1951.

1951

1.       Lucienne Alziary de Roquefort (Panhard Dyna)

2.       Yvonne Simon (Ferrari)

3.       Betty Haig (MG)

1952

1.       Yvonne Simon (Renault 1063)

2.       Lucienne Alziary de Roquefort (Panhard Dyna)

3.       Madeleine Pochon (Renault)

1953

Yvonne Simon (Renault 1063) – overall winner

Paola della Chiesa (Lancia Aurelia) – class win

Sports and Touring cars had their own classes.

Overall standings:

1. Yvonne Simon (Renault 1063)

2. Alexandra Hammersley (Lancia Aurelia)

3. Jane Bagarry/”Mlle de Warren” (Renault 1063).

1954

1.       Yvonne Simon (Panhard Monopole) – also won the 500-750cc class

2.       Lucienne Alziary de Roquefort (Dyna Panhard)

3.       Gilberte Thirion (Porsche 356)

“Madame Cazon”/Gilberte Stempert  (Dyna-Panhard DB850) -  750-1000cc class win

“Madame Achard”/”Madame Desoche” (Peugeot 203) – 1000-1300cc class win

Gilberte Thirion (Porsche 356) – 1300-2000cc class win

Betty Haig (Austin Healey) – 2000-3000cc class win
Jane Brandford (Triumph) - car control test win

1955

1.       Marie-Antoinette Chauvin/Maguy Richelme (Renault 1063)

2.       Jane Bagarry (Renault 1063)

3.       Sabine Hertslet/Rosemarie Schleheck (Porsche)

1956

No rally held?

1957
1. Yvonne Simon (Panhard Monopole)

1958

No rally held?

1959

1.       Annie Soisbault/Renée Wagner (Triumph TR3)

2.       Nicole Pizot/Lucette Pointet (DB Panhard)

3.       Regine Langlois”/”Madame Gesmier” (car not recorded)

1961

1.       Gabrielle Renault/J. Pivoit (Renault Dauphine Gordini)

2.       A Nioncelle/Ginette Desrolland (Renault Dauphine Gordini)

3.       Alexandra Kissel/Nadine Kissel (Panhard)

1963

1.       Lucette Pointet/”Madame Dutel” (Citroen DS 19)

2.       Gabrielle Renault/”Madame Bivois” (Renault)

3.       Simone Petit/”Mlle Mondolini” (Renault)

1964

1.       Claudine Trautmann (Lancia Flavia Coupe)

1966

1.       Claudine Trautmann/Colette (Lancia Flavia Zagato)

1967

1.       Claudine Trautmann/Catherine Piot (Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye HF)

1968

1.       Claudine Trautmann/Catherine Piot (Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye HF)

1969

1.       Claudine Trautmann/Hanrioud (Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye HF)

2.       Marie-Pierre Palayer/E Perrier (BMW 2002)

3.       Marie-Claude Beaumont/"Jonchere" (Chevrolet Camaro)

4.       Gabrielle Renault/"Cora" (Alpine-Renault)

5.       Paulette Delcros/Francoise Prud'hommes (Alpine Renault)

National Rallye: Marianne Hoepfner (Alpine-Renault)

1970

1.   Marie-Pierre Palayer/E Perrier (Porsche)

2.   Lucette Pointet/Lucette Veron (Ford Capri)

3.   Pat Moss-Carlson/Liz Nystrom (Lancia Fulvia HF)

1971

1. Marie-Claude Beaumont/Marie-Madeleine Fouquet (Chevrolet Camaro)
2. Marianne Hoepfner/J Roussely (Alpine Renault)
3. Claudine Trautmann/Marie-Odile Desvignes (Alpine Renault)
4. Marie-Pierre Palayer/E Perrier (Porsche 911 S)
5. Michele Vallet/M Rodt (Alfa Romeo

National Rallye: Annick Girard/Francoise Conconi (Alpine Renault)

Production Touring: Marie-Claude Beaumont (Chevrolet Camaro)

Special Touring: Michele Vallet (Alfa Romeo)

GT: Marie-Pierre Palayer (Porsche)

Special GT: Marianne Hoepfner (Alpine Renault)

1972

1. Marianne Hoepfner/Christine Fourton (Alpine Renault A110)
2. Christine Beckers/Cica Lurani (Alpine 1800)
3. Christine Dacremont/Bossert (Alpine 1600S)

Class win: Michele Vallet/Mme Penot (Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV) 6th overall
National class:
1. "Charlotte"/Henriot (Alpine 1600S)
2. "Durand"/"Belbello" (Alpine 1600S)
3. Marie-Odile Desvignes/Francoise Conconi (Alpine 1600S)

1973

1.       Marianne Hoepfner/Yveline Vannoni (Alpine Renault A110)

2.       “Charlotte”/Marie-José Hommel (Alpine Renault A110)

3.       Marie-Pierre Palayer/M-F Helly (Alpine Renault A110)

1974

1.       Christine Beckers/”Biche” (Michele Espinosi-Petit) (Lancia Stratos)

2.       Anny-Charlotte Verney/”Legou” (Porsche 911 Carrera RS)

3.       Donatella Tominz/Gabriella Mamolo (Fiat Abarth 124 Rally)

Group 1: Corinne Tarnaud (Alfa Romeo 2000)

Group 2: Monique Bourdon (Opel Kadett)

Group 3: Michele Mouton (Alpine-Renault)

Group 4: Anny-Charlotte Verney (Porsche)

1983

1. Dominique Perrier/"Drouilleau" (Citroen Visa)
2. Florence L'Huillier/"Camandona" (Citroen Visa)
3. Sylvie Seignobeaux/Brigitte Ayme (Citroen Visa)

This list has been compiled using data posted by members of the TNF and Forum Auto forums. Also thanks to Colin Butchers.

http://www.forum-auto.com/

http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showforum=10

(Image source Auto)