The Lyons that roared: innovation and drama at 1924 French Grand Prix

Ten years earlier, a longer version of this demanding road circuit had hosted perhaps the greatest race of the pre-war era: the 1914 French GP, occasion of Georges Boillot’s heroic but ultimately unsuccessful battle against the might of Mercedes-Benz in his Peugeot. This struggle adopted a global, bloody face later that same year and motor racing was understandably forgotten. It had resumed not long after the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month, but it had not fully recovered until here and now: Lyons, August 3, 1924.

Only the second race to carry the title of the European Grand Prix — Italy had been the first in 1923 — was packed with innovation and excitement. It was impossible to predict a winner: Fiat’s supercharged straight-eight 805 had been the fastest car of the previous year, and it was back for more; Sunbeam, who had copied Fiat’s six-cylinder 804 of ’22 — and had the further cheek to beat the Italian marque in the ’23 French GP at Tours — had now joined the supercharged ranks; Delage’s car was not supercharged, but it was the first V12 in grand prix racing. And then there was Alfa Romeo’s P2, the first design for the Milanese manufacturer by the legendary Vittorio Jano, and Ettore Bugatfi’s Type 35. The battle between these two marques would colour the next 10 seasons of European motor racing. It was Alfa Romeo, however, that got off on the right foot on this occasion.

Bugatti entered five of his new cars, and although three of them finished on this their debut, all were delayed by troubles with rushed-through Dunlops: seventh, eighth and 11th was the best they could muster. In contrast, the Alfas were tried and tested, having won at Cremona and led before retiring at Pescara, and they were always in the hunt — before taking the eventual victory.