The Grand Prix du Comminges was an automobile race held in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The race was named after the

Comminges The Comminges (; Occitan language, Occitan/Gascon language, Gascon: ''Comenge'') is an ancient region of southern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees, corresponding approximately to the arrondissement of Saint-Gaudens in the departments of Fran ...

, one of the former

Provinces of France Under the Ancien Régime, the Kingdom of France was subdivided in multiple different ways (judicial, military, ecclesiastical, etc.) into several administrative units, until the National Constituent Assembly adopted a more uniform division into ...

in ancient

Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

in what is now the

Haute-Garonne Haute-Garonne (; , ; ''Upper Garonne'') is a department in the southwestern French region of Occitanie. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country's fourth-largest. ...

department of the Midi-Pyrénées region of France. The race began as part of a week-long festival organized by local officials in the town of Saint-Gaudens designed to attract tourists.

Grand Prix motor racing Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition, has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as early as 1894. It quickly evolved from simple road races from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and ...

was at its zenith when the first race was first held in 1925 on a course from Saint-Gaudens to the town of

Montréjeau Montréjeau (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. Montréjeau-Gourdan-Polignan station has rail connections to Toulouse, Pau, Bayonne and Tarbes. History Montréjeau was the site of one of the French Re ...

and back again via a different route. The hilly terrain allowed for excellent viewing close to the beginning and end of the race from atop a hill at the outskirts of Saint-Gaudens. The course layout was modified a few times beginning with changes made to accommodate holding the official French Grand Prix in

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

. At the 1932 race René Dreyfus was leading in his

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

going into the final lap. Rain fell and on the wet road he spun out on a sharp curve. Dreyfus was thrown from the vehicle as it somersaulted through the air but suffered only minor injuries. However, his car hurtled directly towards a large group of spectators gathered off to the side of the road but hit a small tree and smashed to the ground without injuring anyone. Due to a controversy over vehicle regulations, both the 1937 and 1938 races had to be cancelled when major factory teams boycotted the event. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the creation of

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

saw the Grand Prix du Comminges modified to a

Formula Two Formula Two (F2) is a type of Open-wheel car, open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship season, 2009 to 2012 FIA Formula Two C ...

event but, with the top drivers no longer competing, economics dictated cancellation after the 1952 race.

Winners

*1925 – M Goury (Bignan B) *1926 – Louis Chiron ( Bugatti T35) *1927 – François Eysermann (Bugatti T37) *

– William Grover-Williams (Bugatti T35C) *1929 – Philippe Étancelin (Bugatti T35C) *1930 – François Miquel (Bugatti T37A) *1931 – Philippe Étancelin ( Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 'Monza') *1932 – Goffredo Zehender (Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 'Monza') *1933 – Luigi Fagioli ( Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3') *1934 – Franco Comotti (Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3') *1935 – Raymond Sommer (Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3') *1936 –

Jean-Pierre Wimille Jean-Pierre Wimille (; 26 February 1908 – 28 January 1949) was a French racing driver and a member of the French Resistance during World War II. He was a two-time victor of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning in 1937 and 1939. He is generally re ...

(Bugatti T59/ 57) *1939 – René Le Bègue (Talbot MD90) *

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

– Louis Chiron (Talbot Monoplace C39) *1948 – Luigi Villoresi ( Maserati 4CLT/48) *1949 – Charles Pozzi ( Delahaye 145) *

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

– André Simon /

Alberto Ascari Alberto Ascari (13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Ascari won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with Ferrari, and won 13 Grands Prix across ...

( Ferrari Tipo 500)

External links

Official site of the Museum of the Grand Prix de Comminges
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Prix Du Comminges

Auto races in France