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The French Grand Prix of 1914 - an epoch-making racing event

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Created on June 25, 1964

Text:

Hans-Günther Wolf

Photos:

Archiv

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - Christian Lautenschlager, the winner of the 1914 French Grand Prix, held near Lyon

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - Christian Lautenschlager won the French Grand Prix near Lyon

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - Group photo of the successful Mercedes team at the 1914 French Grand Prix

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - after seven hours, the Mercedes team drives to a triumphant victory against the supposedly overpowering competition from Peugeot, Delage and Sunbeam

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - Otto Salzer finishes second in the advanced Mercedes with a displacement of 4.5 liters, four valves per cylinder and an overhead camshaft driven by a king shaft

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - for the French Grand Prix, the long-stroke four-cylinder 4.5-liter engine produced 172 hp at 3,450 rpm

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - The successful three from the 1914 French Grand Prix - Christian Lautenschlager as winner (28), Otto Salzer second (39) and Louis Wagner (40) third - picture taken in Untertürkheim

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They drove on country roads, Sailer achieved an average of 115 kmh

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The race was started in groups of two with a 30-second gap - here Karl Jörns on Opel

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Speeding through villages, 300,000 spectators lined the route

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Mercedes Grand Prix car (1914) - the Grand Prix car of the year 1914, 4.5 liter displacement, four cylinders, four valves per cylinder, over 170 hp output

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The Nyon Grand Prix circuit was over 32 km long, with the hairpin at La Madeleine being particularly dangerous

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Summary

Almost a century ago, on July 4, 1914, an automobile race took place near Lyon that was to be the last for many years. Measured by the physical commitment of the drivers, the danger of the race track and, above all, the technical progress, it was a milestone in the history of the automobile. This report looks back, describes the events and technical trends in detail and shows plenty of historical footage.

This article contains the following chapters

Four cylinders and a long stroke
Four-speed gearbox and four-wheel brakes
Sequential starting procedure
Sailer on a daring drive
Four-wheel brakes are the trump card
Final sprint
Gone with the wind
Contrasts between then and the sixties

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Exactly half a century ago (1964!), on July 4, 1914, an automobile race took place near Lyon that was to be the last for many years. Measured by the physical commitment of the drivers, the danger of the race track and, above all, the technical progress, it became a milestone in the history of the automobile. By describing this race, hobby magazine celebrated an anniversary from the early days of the automobile. Why we consider the 1914 Grand Prix in particular to be so significant can be seen from the list of formulas for the various Grand Prix from 1906 to 1913: In 1914, the formula was determined by displacement for the first time; it eliminated cars with displacements of 12 to 13 liters that produced 120 to 130 hp. Although racing engines with 6 cylinders were already known at that time, the 4.5-liter formula allowed all contenders to compete with four-cylinder engines and rated speeds between 2800 and 3200 rpm.

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