Victor Rigal (22 September 1879 – June 1941) was a French

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

Biography

He began his career in motorsport at the Critérium des Coeurs in 1898, on a

tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a Human-powered transport, human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) Three-wheeler, three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for pa ...

made by

De Dion-Bouton De Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer, which operated from 1883 to 1953. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton, and Bouton's brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux. Ste ...

. He won the Levassor Prize for Motorcycles in 1901, and obtained the record of the kilometre in the same year at 33 seconds, at nearly 110 km/h in Achères, thanks to a twin-cylinder engine from

Buchet Buchet () was a French motorcycle and automobile manufacturer between 1899 and 1930. Origins Société Buchet was founded in 1888 at Levallois-Perret as a producer of lamps. In 1899 Élie-Victor Buchet began to manufacture engines for auto-mak ...

. In 1902, he won the kilometre-long Deauville category for motorcycles at almost 125 km/h, still with the Buchet engine (32CV 4.3L), with the same vehicle still allowing him in November to reach more than 124 km/h in the Parisian region on another kilometer, accomplished in 29 seconds. He then took part in the Paris-Madrid Motor Race in 1903, on a

Mors Mors may refer to: *Mors (mythology), the personification of death in Roman mythology *Mors, Latin for death *Mors (automobile), a French car manufacturer from 1895 to 1925 :* American Mors, Mors vehicles produced under licence in America by the S ...

type Z. In 1906, he finished fourth in the Targa Florio in an

Itala Itala may refer to: * Itala (company), an Italian car manufacturer ** Itala Special, a special custom-built Grand Prix race car * Itala (given name), an Italian given name * Itala, Sicily, a municipality in Sicily * Itala Film, an Italian film com ...

35/40HP, becoming one of the official Werner drivers on tri-cars. He then returned to participate in the Italian event the following year on a

Berliet Berliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and military vehicles among other vehicles based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France. Founded in 1899, and apart from a five-year period from 1944 to 1949 when it was put into 'a ...

, and in 1907 was hired by Darracq Motor Engineering Company. In 1908, he won in

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

the coast races of both Pont de Bainethun and Porte Gayole, on a

Clément-Bayard Clément-Bayard, also known as Bayard-Clément, was a French manufacturer of automobiles, aeroplanes and airships founded in 1903 by entrepreneur Adolphe Clément-Bayard, Gustave Adolphe Clément. Clément obtained consent from the Conseil d'Eta ...

on the same day. He finished 3rd in the 1912

Grand Prix de France The French Grand Prix (), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an Auto racing, auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One, Formula One World Championship. ...

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

on a

Sunbeam A sunbeam, in meteorological optics, is a lightbeam, beam of sunlight that appears to radiate from the position of the Sun. Shining through openings in clouds or between other objects such as mountains and buildings, these beams of light scatter ...

, winning the Coupe l'Auto category 3 Litre. He came 4th in 1908 on a Clément-Bayard, 5th in 1907 on a Darracq, and 7th in 1914 on a

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applie ...

EX5. He also participated in the Grand Prix of the United States in 1908, where he finished 7th and obtained places of esteem at the Cup of Carts where he is often registered. In 1922, he won the Côte de Poix (near

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

) on a

Panhard Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks#Military vehicles, Re ...

20HP, then that of Saint-Martin (Boulogne-sur-Mer) the following year with the same car, while during the same time Louis Rigal started his own course in motorsport. One of Victor's final races was in 1929 at the

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...

in an Alfa Romeo. In 1924, Victor Rigal was appointed the Commissioner General of the Capital Rally of Deauville, organized by the ACO. In the field of aviation, Victor Rigal was the owner of a Voisin-Antoinette

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

in the late 1900s, which he announced at the

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

meeting. He then flew on Sommer-Gnome biplanes in 1910 which belonged to him too.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rigal, Victor 1879 births 1941 deaths Racing drivers from Paris French racing drivers French military personnel of World War I