In the winter Formula 1 hacks get a little more leeway than in the summer months when we are rushing about from place to place. I could have gone this week to Barcelona to watch the testing, but it is nicer not to be living out of a suitcase for a bit and today I decided to go out to lunch and wandered up the road to the local Japanese restaurant for a little sashimi.
On the way back I happened to turn down a side street which I do not normally use and noticed one of those lovely old garages that used to be everywhere but have gradually disappeared as anonymous service centres have taken over. This one smelled of old oil and had an array of sleek and sexy bolides, all jammed in as tightly as possible. I spotted a racing car that looked as though it come straight out of the 1920s, plus an old US Army Jeep and various other expensive-looking machines. I was intrigued, all the more so when I looked at the radiator of the racing machine and discovered a badge that said it was a Salmson. I am not an expert in these things, but it did not look a lot like the Salmsons I have seen before and so I snapped a quick shot and headed home.
I like a nice mystery to solve and so it was inevitable that I would end up having a look on the Internet. I quickly concluded that this was definitely not a conventional Salmson, which seemed to suggest that it was probably some kind of special using a Salmson engine and radiator. I did find other pictures of the car and was intrigued that it was identified as a Jahan, although I could find no further references to that marque. I concluded that it must somehow be related to André Jahan’s Equipe Toril, which raced a machine called a Toril-Salmson. Perhaps it was a Derby chassis mated to a Salmson engine. Whatever the details, Jahan was racing his “Salmson” in the early 1930s. At some point I will go back and find out the whole story, but in the meantime if there is anyone out there who can throw any light on the mystery I’d be delighted to hear about it.
What a nice way to spend a cold and crips Tuesday afternoon in February…
I could spend hours looking at those cars, especially the nice Jaguar E type on the ramp.
Joe:
We are just back from France. We found this incredible collection of old racing cars near Beaune and I immediately thought of you. What an amazing place. There is the fabulous old chateau, it’s delicious wine, and the 36 classic Abarth racing cars, but also…wait for it: 80 fighter jets, 150 motor cycles of all vinatages, and much more. If you haven’t been there you must go. Your type of place. http://reception-aviation.chateau-savigny.com/en/musee.htm
I was once lost in Beaune, (with a nod to Marianne Faithful) well a tad worse for the above mentioned wine and the discovery that they also made a brandy which seemed to be very palatable. My colleague was driving, we were on the way back from the Monaco GP, the only time I have ever been. It was getting dark so we stopped at a 2 star hotel on the outskirts then drove into town for a meal. There was a one way ring road in the town and a seemingly endless supply of roads turning off it, it took many attempts and circuits to find the correct one back to the hotel. It was in the days before I was aware of P&L cards now commonplace in hotel reception areas.
That museum looks well worth a couple of days or more on its own, maybe I could find that restaurant again, mind it was 30++ odd years ago, Senna was in the F3 race. Funny thing about museums some people walk straight round, like the Underground hospital in Jersey, the wife and I took nearly 2 hours to go around.
Oh BTW that’s “Pissed and Lost” cards, what one shows to a taxi driver at the end of the night hoping he will take you there.
The wine there is not too shabby either.
Wilson
Great when this happens. Moved house 2 years ago into a village in North Hertfordshire. Took my new grandson out for an afternoon walk in his buggy and went down a road I had not been before. Guess what – up this road is a Maserati sign and lurking in an innocous industrial unit is Bill McGrath Maserati. They are one of the world’s top Maserati repairers and the machinery in there is out of this world – and they are very friendly too. A great find when wandering aimlessly – makes a good day great.
Very cool! Wasn’t anyone there?
No.
Lovely touch of the kiddie’s bike leaning against the racing car .. I bet he or she gets in the seat sometimes …
Wow that garage is a real allandins cave. Love the little wooden kids bike that seems to be a jack of sorts
brilliant.
Last October I arranged to collect a big old reciprocating water pump for an engine friend who lives in Carlisle, the pump being in Northamptonshire where we are. I was due to take it up on a trip to Scotland, but haven’t done so yet.
On going inside what looked like a very nondescript factory unit, I came face to face with a very nice straight-8 Bugatti in lovely condition, Type 49 open tourer I believe. On a a mobile stand was a 4-cylinder Maserati engine being worked on.
The proprietor was a delight to talk with, and I spent a fascinating 3/4 of an hour talking to him and looking at the rather nice items in the workshop.
Never dreamed such delights could be found a few miles from where we live.
What’s that burgundy car up on the lift to the left?
I reckon it’s a Jaguar Mark IX (that’s Mark 9 in new money). I’m not an anorak, old man, I’m a bloomin’ tweed jacket.
Don’t know how helpful if at all this could be, but as far as I know, Salmson is a long-standing French water pump company… maybe the company used to do something else before? Anyway, could be a lead… all the best!
Visite du musée Abarth à Savigny les Beaune (5/03/11)
Work in progress
http://www.abarthmemoriesbook.com/
Abarth : finest prototype racing cars…
Once when I used to drive my 73 Alfa Spider, I got a leak in the cooling system. The shiny new Alfa dealer was very reluctant and only after some persuation he would look up the part I needed in a book – 150 euro and 3 weeks delivery time.
So I drove away and found a little garage with an Alfa sign. As soon as I entered, 4 mechanics ram around and in no time they came back, carrying boxes full of old parts.
Once they found the right one, it took 10 minutes and 30 euro’s to solve the problem.
Gotta love thoses garages indeed!
Alfa Romeo’s solution to this about 10 years ago – at least in the UK – was to go round at night taking the Alfa signs off unauthorised garages
Chateau-Thierry Hill Climb, 1932
Sports Cars
1,100 c.c. Class
1. Jalian (Toril-Salmson), 52.4 sec
Brescia-Pontedilegno Hill Climb, April 1, 1934
Racing 750 c.c.
1. Jahan (Salmson), 46.4 sec
Chavigny Hill Climb, near Nancy, 1935
Racing 750 c.c.
1. Jahan (Salmson), 51.4 sec
Chateau-Thierry Hill Climb, April 7, 1935
Racing 750 c.c.
1. Jahan (Salmson), 42.8 sec, record
Circuit of Orleans, May 26, 1935
Racing 750 c.c.
1. Jahan (Salmson 750), 21 laps in 56m. 4secs.
I love that old car!
I’m not an expert but I did some work recently on Amilcar, a contemporary French manufacturer. The name Salmson was mentioned quite regularly, I think Mr Salmson was involved with Amilcar in some way. Anyway, the UK Amilcar register also has lots of stuff about other manufacturers. Len Battyl is the man: 01428 645724, number taken from their website, amilcar.co.uk. Lovely bloke, very helpful. BTW: that car looks a bit earlier than 1930s to me.
I should perhaps add that I known a fair bit about Salmson because one of the Grand Prix Saboteurs (Robert Benoist) was a Salmson driver after World War I.
This is what I wrote: “Société des Moteurs Salmson, an aero-engine company which had grown dramatically during the war, wanted to continue to expand by diversifying into new businesses. The company founder Émile Salmson was dead, but a salesman called André Lombard convinced Georges Salmson, one of Émile’s sons, that the automobile business was a good idea. The man running the firm was Jean Heinrich and Lombard and Salmson convinced him to buy a license to produce British GN cyclecars for the French market. The first GN-Salmson had been unveiled at the Paris Salon in 1919 and by 1921 Salmson had built more than 350 vehicles. To show off the cars Lombard himself took part in racing events. He also laid the foundations for the future by hiring an engineer called Émile Petit to establish a competition department. Petit designed an 1100cc air-cooled engine and GN-Salmson quickly became successful with its works driver Joseph “Pepino” Honel. As sales increased, Heinrich was convinced that it was time for Salmson to build its own cars and end the relationship with GN. Petit was ordered to design two completely new models: a cycle car and a slightly bigger voiturette.
Rather than paying a lot of money to hire well known racing drivers, the company decided to look for cheap new stars and, with a background in aviation, the Salmson management concluded that former pilots were the right kind of people for racing. Benoist found that he was one of three former Armée de l’Air pilots chosen to partner Honel although fighter aces Lionel de Marmier and Albert Perrot quickly faded from the scene, de Marmier returning to aviation to become a famous test pilot between the wars.
Right!
I love these little workshops we were in Hong Kong last April and while my Partner was organising several tours i wandered the streets i came across a little workshop with a lovely Dino being worked on a 60s mini cooper in one corner and a 356 porsche and stacks of boxes with bits as wellas old race tyres…. a little gem of a place…
About 30 years ago I did my apprenticeship at KJ Motors (in Bromley, Kent), a garage that started life as a Salmson dealer in the 1920′s. I remember seeing lots of old photos, brochures, and paperwork relating to that time, when I helped move some of their old archives into storage. The garage went bust and closed in 1984, and I often wonder what happened to all that material.
Love the model aircraft hanging in the background too – a garage that has the interest to do that sort of thing is sadly missing in today’s world!
Is that a red alpine with the fictitious Vaillante sponsor sticker? Its from the french comic Michel Vaillant, no?
Joe, I’m looking forward to your next detour passing this garage. There must be a lovely story in there.
Hi Joe
I hope you are having fun with your Salmson research. I decided to have fun with your picture as well, and I’ve found the F1 connection: the red coupé in the middle of the shot was made by a legendary constructor of Grand Prix cars.
I was intrigued by this little car, and eventually identified it as a Vaillante Grand Défi. I was aware of Michel Vaillant, but not of the celebrated F1 team that helped him to his four world championships; and I was frankly amazed to discover that Vaillante had produced a real-life road car.
Designed by cartoonist Jean Graton, the man responsible for the Vaillant/Vaillante legend and for generations of their F1 machines, the Grand Défi used the underpinnings of the mid-engined Hommell special. I believe sixteen were made, production being limited by the number of secondhand Hommell Barquettes they were able to buy…
So we have a real – and apparently rather wonderful – road car produced by a fictional F1 constructor. In France, it seems, Surrealism is never far away…
Thank you, Joe. Thank you, internet.
Sam
http://www.passion-hommell.com/uploads/img4ffdc284d766f.jpg
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/11470675/640/11470675.jpg
Joe,
Here is a little more information and a couple more photographs of your mystery car.
http://souvenezvous44.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/cycle-car-jahan-de-julien.html
Wilson
Thanks, I already found those and a few others at shows etc.