French feminists behind the wheel

• 

You don't have to be a feminist to drive in a rally these days, but the French still cherish their women-only classic car rally. It is called the Rallye des Princesses and was started 2000. Before that, between 1929 and 1974, there was the Rallye Féminin from Paris to Saint-Raphaël on the Côte d’Azur. It was not until 1974 that the event was included in the European Rally Championship, presumably the same event and year that Michèle Mouton made her rally debut as a driver.

Surprisingly, the idea for the all-female motoring event had come from a man: Edmé de Rohan-Chabot. He was a count who had been appointed a knight of the Legion of Honour. Perhaps less surprisingly, early participants saw many French aristocrats, including the Countess de Lesguern, Baroness d'Elern and the Duchess d'Uzès. No doubt all acquaintances of Rohan-Chabot.

The photo here was taken at the start of the third rally of 1931 and we do not know which of the equipes it is that can be seen in the big white car. Wait a minute, is that a man behind the wheel? That would be strange. And what car is it in the first place? It may not have spectacular bodywork, but there seems to be a small rectangular coachbuilder’s badge below the door. We don’t immediately recognize it. Saoutchik? Antem? Aubertin? Can you identify it?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Picture from the archive.

Ajoutez un commentaire...