Annick Girard

Annick (right) and Francoise Conconi in 1970

Annick Girard rallied in France in the 1970s. She was one of the original members of Team Aseptogyl and probably the most successful driver in its first line-up.

She began rallying an Alpine-Renault A110 with the team in 1971, starting her first event, the Rallye d’Istres, on New Year’s Day that year. She did not finish.

Although Aseptogyl initially paired her with Francoise Conconi, she earned her best finishes in open events with Marie-Odile Desvignes alongside her. Just three months after dropping out at Istres, she finished in the top ten for the first time in the Criterium National de Touraine, taking a ninth place.

This was followed by an eighth place in the Rallye des Roses, held at Antibes, then fifth in the national section of the Alpine Rally.

She and Francoise did score one win together, however, finishing first in the National section of the Paris-St.Raphael Rally.

Previously, she had driven in the Tour de France with Francoise in 1970, driving an A110. They were sponsored by Aseptogyl toothpaste, although the Aseptogyl team itself had not yet been assembled.

As well as rallying, she drove an Alpine-Renault A110 in hillclimbs at the same time, including the famous Mount Ventoux climb in 1971. 

Although she showed a great deal of promise in a car, Annick’s motorsport career was a short one and she seems to have dropped out at the end of 1971. Had she continued, we may have seen her performing well on major international rallies or in sportscar races, which Aseptogyl also entered.

Ivana Giustri

 

Ivana Giustri was an Italian driver who competed in both circuit racing and rallying, winning women’s titles in both.

The car she was most associated with is the Alpine-Renault A110. She entered the Giro d’Italia three times, between 1973 and 1975, in an Alpine each time. Her best finish seems to have been 44th, in 1974, driving with Bruno Bocconi for a second time. In 1975, she was part of an all-female team with Cica Lurani. Their result is not forthcoming.

Still with Renault power, she was invited to take part in a Monte Carlo Grand Prix support race in 1975. Twelve female drivers from around the world raced Renault 5s on the GP track, with Ivana finishing third. Promotional materials of the time describe her as having won eleven races  in a 1971 Group 4 championship and five in 1972, driving an Alpine-Renault.

Earlier in her rally career, she drove a Lancia Fulvia, between 1970 and 1972. Her first major rally seems to have been the Isola d’Elba event in 1972, a European Championship round. She did not finish. At the same time, she was campaigning the car in European hillclimbs. She won the Italian women’s rally championship on at least one occasion.

Later, in 1980, she entered the Vallelunga 6 Hours with Bruno Bocconi in a Porsche 930, but did not qualify. In between, she did at least two seasons in the Renault 5 Cup, in 1976 and 1979. The second was as part of an all-female team with Caterina Baldoni and Nicoletta Mista. Ivana had started the season as the favourite for the Ladies’ Trophy, but Nicoletta proved faster.

(Image copyright Luigi Calamai)

Marie-Pierre Palayer

Marie-Pierre Palayer is a multi-talented French driver who raced between 1968 and 1973. She is most famous as a member of the all-female Team Aseptogyl rally squad.

Considering the time period, Marie-Pierre began her career very early. She first appears in hillclimbs in 1968, driving a BMW 1600Ti. She was 18 years old at the time. This led to a BMW works drive in France in 1969, which included the Ronde Cévenole, Tour de France, Criterium Jean Behra and the AGACI 300 at Montlhéry, in a 2002 Ti. She was sixth, with a class win, at Montlhéry. 

In 1970, she switched to a Porsche 911 S run by the works team, and was 15th in the Tour de France, with Ginette Derolland. She also performed very well in rallies, finishing tenth in the Rallye de Lorraine and seventh in the Geneva Rally, in the Porsche, as well as an eighth place in the Lyon-Charbonnières-Stuttgart-Solitude Rally in the BMW. Her best result in open competition was a fifth place in the Rally of Picardie, but her first win came from the women-only Paris-St. Raphaël Rally. She ended the year second in the French ladies’ rally championship.

After 1971, rallying became her main focus as she joined Team Aseptogyl. Aspetogyl founder Bob Neyret had competed at Mont Ventoux against Marie-Pierre in 1968. She mostly drove one of the team’s pink-and-red Alpine-Renault A110s. A highlight of her first year with the team was a fifth place in the Geneva Rally, with Christine Rouff. Back in the familiar Porsche, she was fourth in the Paris-St. Raphaël. 

She was part of a works Peugeot team for the 1972 Bandama Rally in the Cote d’Ivoire, driving a 304 with Ginette Derolland. This event was unusual in that it had no finishers at all. Her going over the time limit was no real shame as she was one of at least six drivers who ran out of time.

She was third in the Paris-St. Raphaël Rally in 1973. That year, the podium was completely filled with Alpine-Renault drivers. This was the second to last of the original Paris-St. Raphaël rallies

She retired from driving herself after the 1973 season, and her last event was a rally raid, the Nice-Abidjan-Nice. She drove an Iveco truck. However, she continued as a navigator until 1975, partnering Claudine Trautmann and Christine Dacremont. Even after her disastrous 1972 Bandama, she usually competed on the rougher African events as a co-driver and helped Marianne Hoepfner to eighth in the 1973 Bandama, driving a Peugeot 504.

(Image from a Team Aseptogyl promotional shoot)

Marie-Odile Desvignes

Marie-Odile Desvignes was a rally driver and one of the original members of the all-female Team Aseptogyl as well as one of its longest-serving. 

She began her rally career with the team in 1971, alongside her twin sister, Anne-Marie, as a complete novice. Aseptogyl founder Bob Neyret selected the sisters not only due to their experience with Alpine mountain roads, achieved through their jobs in ski resorts, but also because blonde identical twins were a handy media draw. Anne-Marie was only part of the team for a very short time, but Marie-Odile proved herself to be one of Aseptogyl’s most effective members.

For major rallies, she usually acted as a co-driver for Claudine Trautmann, until she retired in 1975, but she was also a decent driver in her own right.

Her first year in the navigator’s seat was spent next to Claudine Trautmann at the wheel of either an Alpine-Renault A110 or for rougher events, a Renault 16. The two Frenchwomen were particularly skilled on very difficult, car-breaker rallies and finished third on that year’s Bandama event, held in the Ivory Coast.

Throughout her career, she was often partnered by Francoise Conconi. Christine Rouff and Brigitte Carrier also sat beside Marie-Odile in 1971 and 1972, in the Chataigne, Bayonne and Rallye de l’Ouest events, plus more on the French calendar. One of Marie-Odile’s biggest events of 1971 was the Criterium des Cevennes, which she entered with Francoise. Marie-Pierre Palayer sat beside Claudine.

She also had a short but successful partnership with Annick Girard, another of the original Aseptogyl team. They were eighth in the Antibes Rally and fifth in the National section of the Alpine Rally. 

Marie-Odile and Francoise were entered into the 1972 Paris-St. Raphael Rally and were third in the National standings. The same year, they won the Coupe des Dames in the Criterium des Cevennes. Marie-Odile did her first Neige et Glace Rally as a driver, having co-driven for Claudine Trautmann the previous year in one of their earliest events together, finishing twelfth. She encountered more snow on the Lyon-Charbonnieres event and seems to have finished, although the result is not forthcoming.

Although she is mainly associated with Aseptogyl, Marie-Odile did drive for other teams and in other cars. She did some French rallies in an Alfa Romeo 2000 and finished the 1973 Rally Mistral in 54th place. She also sampled a Porsche 911 for the 1973 Tour de France, assisted by Brigitte Carrier.

In her Aseptogyl Alpine, she entered the Ronde Giraglia in Italy.

1973 to 1975 were mostly spent in the navigator’s seat. As Claudine Trautmann wound down her career, Marie-Odile shared co-driving duties for Christine Dacremont with Francoise. She usually took on the rougher events, as before. She and Claudine were fourth overall in the 1974 World Cup Rally, which took a very circuitous route via the Sahara desert between London and Munich. Only 19 out of 70 cars finished, and Claudine’s Peugeot 504 was the second of three Aseptogyl entries. Co-driving in a non-Aseptogyl 1800 Alpine-Renault, she helped Michel Alibelli to a win in the 1974 Bayonne-Cote Basque Rally.

After 1975, she seems to take a step back from motorsport. One of her latest events seems to have been the 1975 Rallye Côte-Côte, driving a Peugeot 504 with Yveline Vanoni. A reference on the French “Forum Auto” is made to a serious accident on the Rallye Antibes, which may have something to do with it.

She was part of a later iteration of the Aseptogyl team in 1976, driving an Autobianchi A112. She entered the Monte Carlo Rally with Jacqueline Perrin on the maps, although they did not finish. 

Much later, in the 2010s, she came out of retirement to do some historic rallies in an Alpine A110. 

She died in October 2023.

(Image from the “Team Aseptogyl” Facebook page)

"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/)

Jill Robinson

Jill in the Alpine-Renault, in the 1972 RAC Rally

Jill was one of Britain's leading lady drivers in the 1970s. She was a regular entrant in the major British rallies, and also competed quite extensively abroad, particularly in Finland. Although she never achieved the stellar results of Pat Moss or Rosemary Smith, whose careers overlapped with hers, she was capable of holding her own on a special stage, and was able to draw upon considerable resources and contacts to support her motorsport activities.

Born Jill (Margaret) Simpson, she was part of the Simpson family who were the “Simpson” in “Clarke & Simpson”, an upmarket Ford dealership in London. Her sister, Judy, was also a rally driver, although she took it up some years after Jill. Jill herself seems to have started competing some time after her first marriage, and the birth of at least one child, a daughter.

On the international stage, she competed in the RAC Rally seven times. Her first RAC Rally was in 1969, and she drove a BMW 2002 TI with Audrey Scott. They were 58th overall and won the Ladies’ Cup. In 1970, she entered again, this time in a Ford Escort RS 1600. She would continue to drive Escorts of various kinds throughout her career. In this particular one, she is not recorded as a finisher. Her navigator was Frances Cobb. They renewed their partnership in 1971’s RAC Rally, in a similar car, but again, did not finish. The duo also did the Ypres Rally together, in an Escort RS1600 run by Clarke & Simpson. They also drove in the Dukeries Rally, finishing 49th in the Escort. That year, Jill, with local co-driver Leila Loukimo alongside, entered her first 1000 Lakes Rally, in a Twin Cam Escort. They were 42nd overall, and second female crew, behind the experienced and local Eeva Heinonen.

In 1972, Jill started her season back in Finland, for the Arctic Rally. She and Kirsti Pätiälä retired in their Twin Cam Escort. For a change, Jill drove an Alpine-Renault A110 in the Daily Mirror RAC Rally, alongside Dilys Rodgers. They do not appear to have finished.

Jill’s most famous rallying exploit came in 1973, during the Daily Mirror RAC Rally. In a Ford Escort Mexico, she was roped into driving alongside the now-disgraced DJ Jimmy Savile, which did not end well. They dropped out very early on, after performing quite poorly. That year, she also teamed up with Frances Cobb again for the Avon Tour of Britain, a Tour de France style combination of rally sections and circuit races. They drove a Ford Cortina and do not appear to have finished.

The following year, she returned to the RAC Rally with a more skilled navigator, Dilys Rodgers. They drove a Ford Escort RS1600, and were 52nd overall. Later in the year, Jill moved away from Ford power temporarily, and drove an Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV in the 1000 Lakes Rally. Her navigator was Kirsti Airikkala, a British-based Finn who was married to Pentti Airikkala, another entrant into the rally. Pentti was sponsored by Clarke & Simpson, and both Jill and Kirsti would drive under Castrol sponsorship. Jill and Kirsti were 80th overall, but third in the one-litre class. They was also third in the ladies’ standings, behind her regular rival, Eeva Heinonen, and Trine Jensen.

Another attempt at the RAC Rally in 1975, assisted by Dilys Rodgers and in a Ford Escort RS1800 this time, ended in retirement again. She was part of an Avon Tyres-backed team with Russell Close. The following year, she had her best RAC Rally result of her career: 28th, and winner of the Coupe des Dames. She was driving an RS1800 with Pauline Gullick. During the summer, she made another trip to Finland, for the Hankiralli this time, driving an RS2000. She did not finish.

Her programme was similar in 1977. This time, she finished the Hankirally in 39th place, driving an RS2000 with Ian Parry. She was 47th in that year’s RAC Rally, in another Escort, with Dorothy Selby-Boothroyd. This year, she was also active in British rallies, and was part of Team Castrol in the British championship, driving an RS1600 with Dilys Rodgers.

By 1978, her career was winding down, and she only appears to have driven in one major rally this year. She was 40th in the Safari Rally in an Escort RS2000, co-driven by another experienced local, Yvonne Pratt.

In 1979, she did her last big international events. One was her debut visit to the Rally of Madeira, which she does not appear to have finished. Another was the Sunriser Forest Rally in the USA. Jill drove an ex-Rod Millen Datsun 510, with Pauline Gullick. They did not finish. This deal was partly arranged by Jill’s partner, David Sutton, a rally driver and preparation expert. Some time after this, the couple married. Jill and David sometimes competed together, and David, a former sales manager at Clarke & Simpson, was instrumental in brokering some of Jill’s drives. He took over Clarke & Simpson in 1975, which became David Sutton Cars.

In 1979, Jill’s daughter, whose name is not forthcoming, attempted to start her own rally career in the Fabergé Fiesta Challenge. She was eliminated in the preliminary rounds. Jill and David are still together, and live in Northamptonshire.

 (Photo by, and copyright of, Tony Gardiner) 

Team Aseptogyl

The original team: (l-r) Dominique Guichard, Anne-Marie Desvignes, Francoise Conconi, Annick Girard, Marie-Odile Desvignes, Claudine Trautmann.

The distinctive red and pink livery of the rally cars of Team Aseptogyl is familiar to anyone acquainted with the European rally scene in the 1970s. Almost certainly unique, the team employed female drivers exclusively, and launched the careers of several international rallyists.

The team was the brainchild of Bob Neyret, a French dentist and former rally competitor. Its first season of operation was 1971, and the cars were Alpine-Renault A110s, sponsored by Aseptogyl, a brand of toothpaste created by Neyret’s company. The Alpine factory supported the idea of an all-female team, and sold three Group 4-spec Alpine-Renault A110s to Neyret, plus a further car for himself. The engineering and preparation side of the team was handled by Autogyl, another of Neyret’s businesses. As well as the Aseptogyl branding, the team secured sponsorship from Esso.

Bob Neyret had been scouting around for potential drivers for a year. The first team consisted of Claudine Trautmann, a multiple French champion, twins Marie-Odile and Anne-Marie Desvignes, Annick Girard and Marie-Dominique Guichard. They were quickly joined by Françoise Conconi and “Biche” (Michele Petit), who made up the numbers as co-drivers, and Marie-Pierre Palayer. Some of the recruits, like Claudine Trautmann, Marie-Pierre Palayer and Biche, were very experienced rally drivers and co-drivers. Others, like Marie-Odile Desvignes, were novices who liked driving fast, and had decent car handling skills. Neyret always had an eye on the promotional value of his team, and he made little secret of favouring pretty drivers. There was some doubt as to whether all of his Aseptogyl girls were really chosen for their driving talent, but many of them were very accomplished. Accompanying the driving squad was Christine “Kiki” Caron, a former swimming champion who acted as a figurehead for the team. She co-drove occasionally.

The earliest outings for the team were the early-season Alpine events in France, including the Neige et Glace rally. These rallies gave the team some challenging competition, as well as promotional opportunities, posing in matching outfits in the snow. Claudine Trautmann was the stand-out driver that year; she and Marie-Odile Desvignes won their class in the Lyon-Charbonnières-Stuttgart-Solitude rally, closely followed by Marie-Pierre Palayer and Biche. Although the Alpines were the team’s preferred car, Neyret had also acquired a Renault 16 for the rougher North African rallies. Claudine and Marie-Odile were third in the Bandama Rally, which was won by Neyret himself. Marie-Pierre Palayer was another of the team’s strongest drivers, and was fifth in the Geneva Rally, with Christine Rouff.

1972 saw more drivers joining the Aseptogyl roster, including Pat Moss-Carlsson, who was tenth in the Monte Carlo Rally in an Aseptogyl Alpine. Christine Dacremont, the French ladies’ champion was another new recruit, who drove in the Tour de France for the team, among other events, alongside another experienced driver, Marianne Hoepfner. Anny-Charlotte Verney also joined, and Marie-Odile Desvignes did some driving duties, as well as navigation. Marianne Hoepfner impressed in the Spanish RACE Rally, finishing seventh.

Pat Moss-Carlsson made some more appearances in 1973, although she did not finish the Monte or the RAC Rally. Marianne Hoepfner was one the star drivers this season, leading a large Aseptogyl contingent in the Paris-St. Raphaël, in first place. Marie-Pierre Palayer was third. Anny-Charlotte Verney and Christine Beckers were among the other entries for the team. Their distinctive pink, red and white Alpines were a common sight on the European stages. In addition to the stable of rally cars, the team also ran a pink-and-red Alpine single-seater, which was used by Marianne Hoepfner for hillclimbs.

The team diversified somewhat further in 1974, despite the limits imposed on motorsport by that year’s fuel crisis. The A110 Alpines were still in evidence, and one was driven by Christine Dacremont in the Tour de France, but some new Alpine-Renault A310s were in use in the same event. Marianne Hoepfner and Marie Laurent were thirteenth in theirs. For the longer, tougher rallies, the Peugeot 504 was the car of choice. None of the three-car team entered for the Bandama Rally made the finish, but Christine Dacremont was second in the World Cup Rally, which ran from London, across sub-Saharan Africa, through to southern Europe and then to Munich. Claudine Trautmann was fourth, and Bob Neyret himself, third. Away from rallying, Aseptogyl sponsored Marie Laurent’s Chrysler Hemicuda for French hillclimbs.

1975 continued in a similar vein. The A310s were still in service, with a two-car team contesting the Tour de France. Marianne Hoepfner and Christine Dacremont were still the team’s strongest drivers, although new recruits joined all the time. The Peugeots were once again in action for the tougher events, and Marianne Hoepfner and Claudine Trautmann were seventh and eighth in the Morocco Rally. Their team-mates, Christine Dacremont and Yveline Vanoni, did not finish. This was Claudine’s last rally for the team, and she retired to manage the Autogyl side of things at the end of the season.

The team in 1976: (l-r) Christine Dacremont, Corinne Tarnaud, Jacqueline Perrin, "Biche", Delphine Denard, Marie-Odile Desvignes, Marianne Hoepfner, Marie-Dominique Cousin, Antoinette Straumann?, Joelle Chardin.

1976 was a year with some new innovations. The team’s rally car of choice became the little Autobianchi A112 Abarth. These new Aseptogyl cars were launched at that year’s Monte. Christine Dacremont and new girl, Delphine Denard, were the best finishers, in 23^rd. Marie-Odile Desvignes, driving with Jacqueline Perrin, and new driver, Corinne Tarnaud, did not finish. Slightly later in the season, the team took delivery of a Lancia Stratos, which was used by Christine Dacremont for European rallies. Her best overall finish was third in the Criterium Alpin, but she won the Rallye de la Chataigne on scratch, in an A310.

The team’s most exciting venture that year was its Le Mans entry. Another Stratos was prepared for endurance racing, and Christine Dacremont was chosen to partner the great Lella Lombardi for the race itself. They were 20^th overall, and second in class, from 41^st on the grid.

The Aseptogyl Stratos made another appearance in the 1977 Le Mans race, driven by Christine Dacremont again, with Marianne Hoepfner. They did not finish after the engine blew on the 37^th lap.

In rallying, Christine used the Stratos to good effect, finishing sixth on the Monte. The A310 was still in use, and Finnish Aseptogyl girl, Marketta Oksala, finished in 17^th place, with Yvonne Mehta. In November, a pair of Aseptogyl Toyota Celicas tackled the Tour de France, but neither Marianne Hoepfner nor Christine Beckers finished.

The other big event of the year was the World Cup Rally, from London to Sydney. Christine Dacremont drove a diesel Fiat 131 Abarth, but did not finish. Bob Neyret, with Marianne Hoepfner as co-driver, was fifteenth. Unusually, an all-male crew joined them; Giancarlo Baghetti was 23^rd.

After the London-Sydney experiment with diesel, and the good performances of diesel Citroens in that event, Bob Neyret acquired three Citroen 2500 CX diesels, for Marianne Hoepfner/Marie-Madeleine Fouquet, Christine Dacremont/”Ganaëlle” and Marketta Oksala/Pirjo Pinnä. Two of the three finished, but none was particularly competitive. The CXs were quietly retired, only reappearing for the Tour de France.

Later in the season, the team launched a new car, at the Tour de Corse. Six pink Aseptogyl Fiat 127s made the start, driven by Christine Dacremont/Isabelle Perrier, Marianne Hoepfner/ Marie-Madeleine Fouquet, Joëlle Chardin/Antoinette Straumann and three Italian crews: Antonella Mandelli/Cristina Bertone, Anna Cambiaghi/Enrica Marenghi and Maurizia Baresi/Iva Boggio. Unfortunately, all six retired, four with electrical problems. Aseptogyl were keen to showcase Italian drivers this season, alongside their Italian cars, and Maurizia Baresi and Anna Cambiaghi did several regional events in France and Italy. Drivers Caterina Baldoni, an ex-model, and Margherita Corio increased the size of the Italian contingent. A French squad was still present and included Bernadette Sacy.

The Aseptogyl Italian drivers in 1978: (l-r) Cristina Bertone, Caterina Baldoni, Iva Boggio, Maurizia Baresi, Anna Gatti, Margherita Corio.

Team Aseptogyl disappeared as a regular entity at the end of the 1970s, although Bob Neyret continued to enter a series of lady drivers into major rallies into the early 1980s. One of the higher-profile Aseptogyl outings was the 1979 Nice-Abidjan Rally, the fore-runner of the Dakar. A three-truck team of six drivers competed in an Iveco HGV. The following year, Anna Cambiaghi and Oda Dencker-Andersen won the Truck class of the Trans-Africa Rally, finishing 30^th overall.  The same year, Marianne Hoepfner was second overall in the Himalayan Rally, driving a Toyota Corolla with Oda Dencker-Andersen.

The last hurrah for Team Aspetogyl came in 1983, when an eight-strong squad of Alfa Romeo Alfasuds were entered into the Monte Carlo Rally. They were nominally competing as national teams, from the UK (Louise Aitken-Walker and Ruth Hillier), Germany (Margot Henn and Waltraud Wünsch), Italy (Maurizia Baresi and Isabella Bignardi) and Belgium (Marie-Francoise Placq and Nicole Sol). The enterprise was not a great success, with only four of the cars actually making the start. Louise Aitken-Walker was the best of them, finishing 49^th.

Several members of Team Aseptogyl are still active in motorsport in one way or another, and Marie-Odile Desvignes is still driving an Aseptogyl-liveried Alpine-Renault in historic rallies.

Below are short profiles of some of the other drivers who rallied for Aseptogyl over the years.

Joelle Chardin - a member of Team Aseptogyl during its Fiat-powered period in the late 1970s. She took part in national and international rallies around France, including the 1978 Tour de Corse and the Lorraine Rallye in 1979. Details of her other outings have proved hard to track down.

Margherita Corio – Italian driver who rallied for Team Aseptogyl in the mid-to-late 1970s. She and Cristina Bertone entered the Rallye du Var in 1975, driving a Fiat-Abarth 124. Pictures show Margherita with an Aspetogyl Fiat 128 in 1978, but actual results are proving elusive. She definitely participated in the Ronde Cevenole, but was driving a Lancia. In 1976 and 1977, she did the same event in a Fiat 124. She may have also rallied a Lancia Stratos in 1979, and this ran without Aspetogyl livery. Margherita was married to another rally driver, Angelo, and they often competed together, with Margherita as co-driver, between 1967 and 1978.

Francoise Demarteau - part of the Belgian branch of the later Team Aseptogyl. Her car was a Fiat 127 and she rallied in the Belgian championship for the team in 1979 and 1980. Her best result was an 18th place in the 1979 24 Hours de Lessines, a midfield finish. She was often the quickest of the Aseptogyl entries. Her biggest rally was the 1979 Ypres 24 Hours, although she did not finish.

Margot Henn - German driver who rallied an Alfa Romeo Alfasud TI on the 1983 Monte Carlo event, driving for the ladies' Alfa Romeo team. She did not finish and did not compete in any further major rallies.

Ruth Hillier - British driver who was 62nd in the 1983 Monte Carlo Rally, her first attempt, driving an Alfa Romeo Alfasud TI. Her navigator that year was Mary Fullerton. She was part of Bob Neyret’s ladies’ team entry that year.

Dominique Perrier - entered the 1983 Monte Carlo rally as part of the Alfa Romeo women's team, driving an Alfasud TI. She had been competing around France since at least 1980, when she entered the Mont Blanc Rallye. Afterwards, she entered various European events in a Citroen Visa and Talbot Samba, including the RAC and Catalunya Rallies, sometimes named as "Grandvuinet-Perrier", although she normally appeared in French events. She was capable of top-ten finishes. She was part of the Team Aseptogyl “proper” at some point.

Marie-Francoise Placq - Belgian driver, entered the 1983 Monte Carlo Rally as part of the Alfa Romeo ladies' team. She had previously competed in the 1980 Paris-Dakar Rally as a navigator, to Corinne Koppenhague. Their vehicle was a Jeep Hotchkiss. Between 1979 and 1983, she was very active in the Belgian championship, first in a Fiat 127, then in an MG Metro. In 1980, she scored two class wins in Belgian rallies, in the Fiat.

Betty Tognana - best-known as a co-driver in Europe in the 1970s, but she also drove herself on occasion in 1978 and 1979. Her first car was a little Autobianchi A112 Abarth which she used in a one-make trophy for that car in Italy, recording a best finish of fifteenth in the Rally 4 Regioni. She was part of Team Aseptogyl in 1979, driving a Fiat 127 in some Italian rallies. Her best finish by far in this car was a 25th place in the Valle d’Aosta Rally. As a co-driver, she won the Citta di Sassari Rally in 1985 with Giovanni del Zoppo. She was still competing in 2018.

Yveline Vanoni – best known as a co-driver, who regularly sat alongside Marianne Hoepfner early in her career, and then Christine Dacremont. She was one of the second wave of Team Aseptogyl drivers, and drove herself in French rallies as part of Aseptogyl squads. Her international experience as a driver was quite limited; as an Aseptogyl driver, she entered the 1975 Morocco Rally in a Peugeot 504, but did not finish. She may also have driven in the Paris-St. Raphaël Rally. After 1975, she seems to take a break from rallying, but she reappeared in 1979 as one of the six-woman Aseptogyl team who tackled the Nice-Abidjan-Nice Rally, driving an Iveco HGV.

(Images from Aseptogyl promotional material, taken from www.forum-auto.com)

Marianne Hoepfner

Marianne had her first taste of motorsport in 1964, at the age of 20. She had been a regular spectator before and was encouraged by her boyfriend to enter some local rallies in her own car. Shortly afterwards, the pair married, Marianne Trintignant became Marianne Hoepfner and a 20-year career had begun.

For several seasons, she stuck with local events, taking part in hillclimbs as well as rallies. Her first big result was her win in the 1969 Paris-St. Raphaël event, driving an Alpine A110. She was in the navigator’s seat this time, at the side of Claudine Trautmann.

After her Paris-St. Raphaël triumph, Marianne returned to the French scene, taking in hillclimbs in an Alpine, as well as rallies. During 1972, she became one of the second group of female Team Aseptogyl drivers, and was supported by the team in most of her motorsport activities. Quickly, she became one of the leading drivers in the team. She remained part of the Aseptogyl set-up until 1979.

Her next big entry was the Tour de Corse in 1972. She and her regular navigator Yveline Vanoni did not finish in their Aseptogyl 1600cc A110. They had better luck in Spain, picking up their first international top ten in the RACE Rally. They were seventh overall and won Group Four. The same pairing in the same car were 31st in the 1972 Tour de France, and they also entered the Rally of Portugal and the Alpine Rally.

In 1973, Marianne’s rally career really began to take off. Still in the Alpine A110, she was 34th in the Monte Carlo Rally, third in class. Later in the year, she travelled to Morocco for the first time, using an 1800cc Alpine. She did not finish, after a driveshaft broke. In May, she won the Paris St. Raphaël event, driving for herself this time. She won the first of her four French ladies’ championships this year.

In 1974, she entered the Press-On-Regardless Rally, in Michigan. It was here that she scored her second international top ten finish: a ninth place, in the A110. At home, her performances were strong enough to retain her Coupe des Dames crown.

The following season, it was time for a change. Marianne left behind the ageing A110 and replaced it with a Peugeot 504. She also gained a new navigator in Christine Fourton. One of the highlights of her rallying year was a seventh place in the Rallye du Maroc. At home, she continued to compete, sometimes using a Peugeot 304 or 309 as well as a 504. By this time, she was an established member of Team Aseptogyl, an all-female motorsport stable run by Bob Neyret and sponsored by a brand of toothpaste. Her best French result was an eighth place in the Rallye Bayonne Cote Basque, where she won her class in a 304. Probably her biggest drive of the year was her second place on the London-Sydney World Cup Rally, driving a Peugeot 504 with Yveline Vanoni.

As well as rallying, Marianne tried some more circuit racing. She was 24th in the Spa 24 Hours, driving a Triumph Dolomite with Jenny Birrell and Christine Beckers. Even more impressively, she won the 2000cc class at Le Mans, driving a Simca-powered Moynet JRD LM75. Her co-drivers were her fellow rallyists, Michele Mouton and Christine Dacremont. They were 21st overall.

In 1976, she repeated her Moroccan result, driving the 504 with “Biche” (Michele Petit) this time. She did not return to Le Mans and seems to have had a quieter year. As ever, she continued to rally primarily in France, and won the last of her Coupe des Dames this year.

She was much more active in 1977, driving a series of different cars. For that year’s Monte, she used a Lancia Stratos HF, but retired on the second stage with suspension problems. Later in the season, she returned to Corsica in a Toyota Celica, but went out early again. She had better luck driving a Team Aseptogyl diesel Fiat 131 on the London-Sydney World Cup Rally. Her final position was thirteenth.

1978 played out in a similar fashion. In the World Rally Championship, Marianne entered the Monte, the Acropolis Rally and the Tour de Corse, driving a Toyota Celica and a Fiat 127 respectively. She did not finish either later event, as the Celica’s suspension went again and all the Aseptogyl-run Fiats retired with various mechanical problems that year. She did get to the end of the Monte in a Citroen, but was in 76th position. Problems also put her out of Le Mans in the 19th hour. She was sharing a WMP P76 Peugeot prototype with Christine Dacremont and the head gasket failed.

As well as rallying, at home and abroad, Marianne returned to Le Mans. She drove an Aseptogyl-sponsored Lancia Stratos with Christine Dacremont, but their engine failed in the fifth hour.

On the WRC front, things improved slightly in 1979, if only that Marianne made it to the finish without her car self-destructing. She was 43rd in Monte Carlo, driving a Citroen CX 2400 with Marie-Madeleine Fouquet. This was her only international action of the year, although she continued to compete in the French championship.

Marianne only made one international race appearance in 1980, at Le Mans. She drove a Porsche 934 with the Almeras brothers, Jacques and Jean-Marie, but the team went out late on after damaging their car in a crash. This was her last attempt at the classic French enduro.

On the rallying side, she teamed up with Oda Dencker-Andersen in a Toyota for a couple of events. She was second in the Himalayan Rally in India, driving a Celica. Rough-terrain expert Shekhar Mehta won.

1981 marked her last WRC event, the Rallye Cote d’Ivoire. That year’s rally only had nine finishers and Marianne and her co-driver Biche were not among them. The distributor on their Porsche 924 failed on stage six. Circuit racing proved more fruitful: she was seventh overall in the Spa 24 Hours, assisted by Jean-Louis Trintignant, Derek Bell and Alain Cudini. The car was a BMW 530i run by the WM team.

In 1982 she did some more circuit racing. She drove an Opel and a BMW in touring car races at Mugello and Spa, but the results have not been forthcoming.

After that, Marianne began winding down her career and made fewer big appearances, although she continued to compete in France. Her last international event was the RAC Rally in 1984, driving a works Mazda RX-7 with Biche. Sadly, she was only a reserve driver and did not get to start.

(Image from http://www.echappementclassic.fr/)

Christine Dacremont

Christine Dacremont was a French rally driver and sportscar racer of the 1970s. She competed between 1970 and 1979. She began her career in hillclimbing in 1970, and her first competition car was a Triumph Spitfire. She used the same car in her first rally, the Rallye Fleurs et Parfums at Grasse, also in 1970.

The Triumph was replaced with an Alpine-Renault A110 for 1971, which Christine used in French rallies. Her early results were solid, but unspectacular, the highlights being class seconds in the Rallye D'Ouest and the Paris-St.Raphaël women's rally.

In 1972, she joined Team Aseptogyl as one of its all-female driving squad. This was strangely appropriate. The team was sponsored by a brand of toothpaste and run by Bob Neyret, an ex-dentist, and Christine worked as a dental assistant when not rallying. Her first year with the team was spent in the French championship. She carried on all year, despite being on crutches for part of it, due to a motorcycle accident. Away from the team, she entered her own A110 in the Tour de France, but did not finish.

She continued with the team for the 1973 season. One of her more major outings was the Paris-St.Raphaël, in which she was fourth, in a Fiat 124 Spider. Her biggest rally of the season was her first World Championship event, the Monte Carlo Rally. Co-driven by Marie-Odile Desvignes, she retired before the finish, after the engine of her A110 developed problems. For the rest of the season, she continued to gain experience at home with the Aseptogyl set-up.

The following season, Christine gained her first experience of long-distance events. Driving a Peugeot 504, she took part in a rally raid across the Sahara, followed by the Bandama Rally on the Ivory Coast. She was not among the winners, but the experience stood her in good stead for the World Cup Rally later in the year. The route ran across the Sahara and through Europe to Munich. Christine was second in her Peugeot.

1975 heralded her return to the World Championship stages in Morocco. Unfortunately, she and Marie-Pierre Palayer crashed their Peugeot 504 and had to retire. Luckily, despite the proximity of dates, this did not interfere with Christine's first attempt at Le Mans. She was part of the Moynet-Simca team that won the 2000cc class. Her team-mates were Michele Mouton and Marianne Hoepfner. They were 21st overall.

In 1976, she won two French rallies, in Ardennes and Chataigne, at the wheel of an Alpine A310. On the world stage, she was eighth in the Rallye du Maroc and fourth in in the gruelling Bandama Rally, in a Peugeot 504. During her career, Christine proved that she was much more comfortable in endurance events, and on rough terrain. This year, her co-driver was Yveline Vannoni, who was previously the navigator for Marianne Hoepfner. Later in the year, Christine tried out a Lancia Stratos rally car, having sampled Stratos power in her second Le Mans. She partnered Lella Lombardi, and was 22nd, second in class.

The following year, she was sixth in Monte Carlo, driving the Stratos with Colette Galli. This remains one of the highest female finishes to date. The Stratos brought less joy at Le Mans: Christine and Marianne Hoepfner retired after only five hours with engine trouble. More trouble struck on the World Cup Rally, which was the most ambitious yet, running from London to Sydney. Team Aseptogyl entered two diesel-powered Fiat 131s, one for Christine and Yveline and one for Marianne Hoepfner and Bob Neyret. Christine was involved in a serious accident near Darwin and spent three months in hospital recovering, wiping out the rest of her season. Thankfully, she made a full recovery.

She returned to the stages once more in January 1978, for the Monte Carlo Rally. Her car, still run by Team Aspetogyl, was a diesel Citroen 2500 CX. She was off the pace in 69th, but not far behind the first diesel finisher, Claude Laurent in a Volkswagen. She also entered the Tour de Corse in a smaller, more proven Fiat 127, but did not finish after an oil line broke.

1978 also saw her last Le Mans appearance. She and Marianne Hoepfner drove a Peugeot WMP P76 prototype run by Aspetogyl. They lasted until the 19th hour, before a head gasket blew. Throughout the latter part of their careers, Christine and Marianne often drove together, sometimes navigating for one another in French rallies. Christine read the maps for other Aseptogyl drivers on occasion, including Corinne Koppenhague.

1979 was her last year of competition. Her main event was the Paris-Dakar Rally. She drove a Lada and does not appear to have finished. Team Aseptogyl did not last much longer, disappearing at the end of the season, although Bob Neyret returned in 1983 with an all-female driving squad for the Monte. Christine was no longer a part, nor were any of the previous major Aseptogyl drivers.

(Image copyright Libol)