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Life in the fast lane - early racing car drivers
One of the pioneering racing car drivers, Léon Théry was born in 1879. He started his career by racing voiturettes, which were small engine cars like the Delage Voiturette shown here.
Known as "The Chronometer" due to his meticulous focus on lap times, he enjoyed a relatively successful but brief career.
Decauvilles Years
One of the early racing car drivers, he participated in races with Decauvilles and I believe he worked as a mechanic for the car manufacturer. The vehicles were steered using a tiller, had no rear suspension, and were equipped with Dion-Bouton engines. I believe that at that time, they had about 5HP and could reach a speed of around 19mph.
In 1899, he finished 2nd in the Paris-Bordeaux race, covering a total distance of 351 miles.
He later emerged victorious in the Coupe des Voiturettes, a 220km race from Paris to Rouen on March 11, 1900, completing it in 4 hours and 51 minutes.
Unfortunately, he faced misfortune in his races in 1902. During the Paris-Vienna race in June, he encountered brake failure on the Arlberg Pass, and on July 31, while participating in the Ardennes Cup, he collided with a cow at full speed.
Richard-Brasier Years
In 1903, Léon Théry started competing for the French car manufacturer Richard-Brasier, which was established in 1902 by Georges Richard, a racing driver, and voiturette manufacturer, and Charles-Henri Brasier, an industrialist.
In 1904, he achieved victory in the Gordon Bennett Trophy Trials by competing in an 80hp Richard-Brasier on a 55-mile circuit in the Argonne forest, Lorraine, He completed the course in 5 hours and 20 minutes. Later that year, he also won the Gordon Bennett cup in the Taunus mountains of Germany.
In 1905, he secured first place in the Gordon Bennett Trophy French Trials, a 4-lap race in the Auvergne, covering a distance of 85.35 miles in 7 hours and 34 minutes. Driving a Richard-Brasier, he set the fastest lap time of 1 hour and 40 minutes.
The Richard-Brasier venture ended bitterly in 1905 due to disputes between the partners. Richard was effectively ousted from the business, and subsequent cars were branded as Brasier.
During the 1908 French Grand Prix held near Dieppe, he participated in a Brasier automobile but had to withdraw after 9 laps due to wheel issues.
Gordon Bennett
The Gordon Bennett Cup was an annual racing competition established in France by the owner of the New York Herald, the millionaire James Gordon Bennett Jr. He was an ambitious and successful man of means and led a lavish, adventurous and at times scandalous lifestyle. He funded and sponsored various expeditions to raise the profile of his newspaper and created many sporting events.
It is generally believed that the expression “Gordon Bennett” used to relay surprise, incredulity and exasperation is in fact in reference to him.
Death
Sadly, Léon Théry tragically passed away on the 8th March 1909 at the age of 29 due to proteinuria caused by kidney disease related to tuberculosis.
Tombstone
Léon Théry's tomb can be found in Division 91 of Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. The sculpture portrays Théry dressed in his racing attire, holding a broken steering wheel in front of what seems to be a Brasier racing car's grill. The inscription on the tomb simply states "To Théry, His Friends, His Admirers." This unique tomb captures Théry forever gazing towards the racing circuit, possibly acknowledging the crowds of admirers and friends. It is a tomb that reflects the man's passion and is definitely worth a visit.
The sculptor behind this masterpiece was Marc Robert, a graduate of the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris. In 1917, he was honored with the Cabrol Prize and post World War I, he was commissioned to create several war memorials.
References
Wikipedia
My own photographs of his tomb
Society of Automotive Historians
Friends of Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Car and Classic 31 Jan 2022
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