AC Ace Bristol's at Le Mans 24hr... 57-62

[Louism]

Le Mans track had some specificities everyboby knows, the most famous is of course the 3.7 miles Mulsanne Straight.
   1 minut pedal to the metal for a 917, around 100 seconds for an Ace Bristol in 1957...
   
   Here in 1971:
   
   
   
   This straight, we call "Hunaudières" in France, was cut for safety reasons with 2 chicanes in 1990.
   
   Another singularity was after Mulsanne corner, the slowest part of the track. Because the speed was to quick in front of the pits, the signalling area is situated at Mulsanne several miles away from the pits. Each team had a telephone to shout to the guys in signalling area to prepare the panel for the next lap.
   In 1991, new pits were built and it was the end of it.
   this famous picture from the AC team was taken in Mulsanne.
   
   
   
   We are here in Mulsanne in 1957 just after the corner at the signalling area, a D Type in the front then AE 205 of Rudd and Bolton, #53 is a small Monopole with a Panhard engine.
   
   

[Louism]

Still chasing BEX 289, the Ace entered by Gachnang in 1960.
   
   First, a gift from Georges Gachnang: a picture of BEX 289 with its special body in front of the castle of the city of Aigle in Switzerland, his home land.
   
   
   
   The Gachnang brothers are famous for building some interessant and beautiful prototypes and single seaters in the sixties. Their cars were called CEGGA which means: Claude Et Georges Gachnang Aigle.
   
   The first CEGGA (CEGGA 01) powered with Maserati engine. Georges and Claude behind their achievement.
   
   
   
   The Gachnang dynasty is still in motor racing today with Natacha Gachnang, daughter of Georges' son, and Sebastien Buemi driving in formula 1. Sebastien in the son of Georges' daughter.
   
   From Natacha's blog, Natacha and her grand father Georges.
   
   

[Louism]

We had already some nice pictures of BEX 289 in the first posts of this topic.
   
   On this view of the 1960 start, the two Aces can be seen: BEX 289 #30 and BEX 365 #57.
   
   
   
   Georges at the start of the 24 Hours, running to take the wheel of the Ace.
   
   
   
   
   Note the chock behind the rear wheel and the opened door. This was the tradition for the Le Mans start, it prevents to use the hand brake.
   The car had, in the first hours of the race, some engine problems due to air filters. Because of vibrations, some parts of those filters went in carburators. BEX 289 had to stop at least one hour to find and fix this problem.
   What a shame they did not use air straighteners, isn't it Keith ?
   
   BEX 289 in Dunlop curve.
   
   
   
   During the night, Georges was driving the most of the time because André Wicky was wearing glasses and it was better like that. At 2 AM, bothered by a little DB between Indianapolis and Arnage, Georges went off the road straight in the sand aera. The car was stopped hardly and the driver, without seat belts at that time, was hurted at his head by the wipers motor.
   Georges was not badly injured but had to give the wheel to the reserve driver, Jean Gretener.
   The rule of the race was clear: If the reserve driver takes the wheel to replace one of the two drivers of the team, that driver won't be able to come back again in the race. That is why Georges Gachnang left the wheel to Jean Gretener until the end of the 24 Hours. It is not the subject of this topic but the story of the winning Ferrari in 1965 has something to see with that rule...
   
   BEX 289 here in Mulsanne.
   
   
   
   and probably in Le Tertre Rouge.
   
   
   
   Even if the car had finish the race, it was not classified covering insufficient distance.
   
   

[Louism]

Thanks to Bertrand, Georges was back again in Le Mans last year for the 50th anniversary of his participation.
   
   

[Louism]

Claude and Georges Gachnang
   
   

[Louism]

The power of internet is amazing...
   
   I was looking at the pictures of 1957 Le Mans 24 Hours on Steve Gray AC Heritage website. One of them represents "The Team in Paris", showing Ken Rudd's lorry and the caravan.
   
   My first reflection was: "Why going in Paris ?". If you look at a map of France, Paris is not the route to England via Cherbourg or Le Havre.
   May be a visit to the french AC importer (Chardonnet) after the race, why not a recreation to the "Folies Bergères"...nothing realy credible.
   
   I decided to look at the picture closely.
   - The Citroën Traction close to Ken Rudd's lorry is registered in Paris ("75" number plate).
   - The bus on the left looks like a Parisian.
   - Trolleybuses "wires" can be seen at the top of the picture.
   
   
   
   After a quick investigation, I discovered that we could not find trolleys in Paris in 1957 except in suburbs. So we can consider they were stopped on the outskirts of the french capital.
   Another question comes: Where a trolley bus between Le Mans and Paris ?
   The answer is: Le Mans is the only place, with Paris suburbs, to have such a public transport in 1957.
   
   So I wrote on google "trolleybus Le Mans" and I had that picture as an answer:
   
   
   
   This is an old image of the "Place de la République" in the center of Le Mans.
   If you start from the main tree in the middle and you go right, look at the building between that tree and the statue and you will discover IT IS the same one at the top of Rudd's caravan !
   
   AC team's picture was not taken in Paris. Ken Rudd's vehicle was only parked, I think after the race, in the center of Le Mans...

[bex316]

Nice investigation. It also proves you should never take anything for granted because other people say so or even have done so for years!
   
   Jerry

[ANTOINE PRUNET]

While on the Gachnang brothers and their BEX 289, is there any confirmation that the same car's later fastback bodywork had anything to do with Drogo's shop in Modena?
   Best

[Louism]

Nothing new Antoine...
   
   I try to have some more informations by Georges Gachnang on what he exactly knows about the car after it was sold.
   
   By the way I have that picture from april 1963 in Montlhery. You can see BEX 289 in a "swiss club" race, circuit are still forbidden in Switzerland after Le Mans tragedy in 1955.
   
   Quite an unusual grid...
   
   
   
   At that time, BEX 289 owner is Jean Zufferey and the car looks like it was in Le Mans 1960. You can notice the wiper at the top of the windscreen in front of the driver, the one who hurt Georges' forehead  during the 24 hours...
   
   Still about that car, I have another picture from Le Mans 1960:
   
   Arnage corner
   
   

[Louism]

Especially for Barrie Bird, a nice view of AC's pits in 1958.
   - Still a little mark on the left side near headlight.
   - Circular badge has a different position between left and right side.
   
   

[Louism]

Before I have some news from Georges in Switzerland, let's talk about Georges...in Paris.
   Thanks to him for the following informations.
   
   As you can understand we are going now in 1962, the last entry of an Ace at Le Mans.
   
   The story starts in september 1961 during the "Tour de France Automobile" when Jean-Claude Magne had a bad accident with his Ace BEX 1192.
   The car went back to Thames Ditton for reparation. Jean-Claude had in his mind the 24 Hours of Le Mans so he asked the factory a special preparation for the Big Race to come in june 1962.
   The result is:
   - a special body at the front of the car for better aero with a smaller radiator grille and special wings including lights.
   - side vents were cut on both front and rear wings.
   - the fuel tank cap is inside the boot instead of being at the top of the rear wing.
   - the quality of aluminium is different from a standard Ace, it was made from thinner sheets (AL 4 to be precise).
   
   The car as it is today, we saw Georges and BEX 1192 at Goodwood Revival in 2005 (still the same number plate 3129 LL 75):
   
   
   
   
   
   Georges gave me some more technical datas:
   - the engine was fitted with a "big valves" cylinder head but then Magne came back to the normal size. The fan was taken off in front of the radiator.
   - 16" wheels and a special back axle ratio.
   
   Le Mans started on april 7th and 8th for preliminary practises.
   BEX 1192 was #62 (it was #60 for the race in june) driven by Magne and Maurice Martin.
   
   
   
   It was a rainy day and their best lap in 5'11"60 (average 96,7 mph). The difference between april and june was the hardtop the car had for the 24 Hours in order to a better air penetration.
   Top speed in Mulsanne straight: 138 mph.
   
   
   
   I will write about the race soon...

[Louism]

I have some news from Georges Gachnang.
   
   Gachnang Brothers owned 3 Aces.
   BEX 267.
   BEX 289, the one from Le Mans.
   BEX ? bought from USA and sold only 5 years ago to Italy via a garage from Geneva.
   
   BEX 267 was sold in 57 to John Gretener (the same who became co-driver in Le Mans 60 after Georges Gachnang small injury).
   - This car has a race history, see Reims 12 Hours in Rinsey Mills book.
   - Written in AC register the car raced with Charles Vogele in 57/59 and then became the "Gachnang Bristol". At the end went back to Vogele family in 79.
   I think it could be easy to make a confusion with BEX 289 for the Vogele period because Georges Gachnang says today he bought BEX 267 to Gretener.
   
   BEX 289 was bought damaged after Vogele had an accident with Nadege Ferrier's Porsche during practise for Faucille hill climb.
   
   
   
   
   After Le Mans, BEX 289 was repainted in grey and then sold to a real estate agent in Lausanne.
   After several years Georges saw the car in Geneva, in 1972 or 73. BEX 289 was stored in a coachbuilder workshop in Carouge aera.
   At that time, the car had still the same body as Le Mans in 1960. This point is important because Piero Drogo died in 73 and in conclusion, it seems not possible the car was rebodied by his "carrozzeria" after this date.
   
   Alain Larive purchased the car in 1979 and Alain says he already saw the car in 1976 in the hands of Michel Bricod (registration GE 151776).
   
   picture below: BEX 289 seen in France in Montlhery (1980):
   
   
   
   In Le Mans in 1979 for historic cars event on Bugatti circuit:
   
   
   
   The unknown period of BEX 289 is in between 1973 and 76, it was rebodied at the back during that time.
   
   It was said that Jean Zufferey (ex president of an automobile club in Switzerland) owned BEX 289. It is a mistake, Georges remembers he used to drive an Aceca.

[Louism]

Tonight, a message from Alain Larive tells me he did not buy BEX 289 to Michel Bricod. Another french owner is in between the two of them.
   
   We have now an owner list like this:
   Delivered new in august 57
   - C. Vogele Switzerland 58/59
   - Gachnang Switzerland 60
   - ? in Lausanne Switzerland
   - Michel Bricod Geneva Switzerland sold in may 74
   - ? France
   - Alain Larive France early eighties
   - ???
   
   If Georges Gachnang remembers the car in Geneva in 72 or 73 with the Le Mans hardtop, the "Drogo conversion" has to be made by Michel Bricod before he sold it in 74.
   It's getting narrow now...

[Louism]

Before I am going at Goodwood next monday where I will meet John & John...
   
   Some pictures may be you don't know about BE 214:
   
   Bad quality but interessant picture, don't forget in 1959 the team wanted to switch the windscreen with a new one between practises from Wednesday and Thursday. Unfortunatly the spare one had been delivered broken so it was decided to use a standart windscreen for thursday qualifying by the kindness of a Ferrari entrant of the 24 Hours who owned an Ace.
   
   Thursday practises in Arnage:
   
   

[Louism]

Ted Whiteaway pushing hard at Mulsanne corner