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Chrysler & Le Mans
by David Blumlein
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 I
like Chrysler. It has always been the most interesting, colourful
and dynamic of the large American manufacturers, with a cyclical history
that characterises so many of the pedigree marques that have survived
the 20th century. Ups and downs therefore underline the Chrysler story,
the 1934 Airflow being a ‘down’, the “hemi” V-8
of 1951 an obvious ‘up’.The
founder, Walter P. Chrysler, had dynamism too. Initially from a railroad
and locomotive background, he was head-hunted to take over the Buick
division of General Motors, a challenge he rose to so successfully
that it in turn led to him being taken on as a company ‘trouble-shooter’
first at Willys and then at Maxwell-Chalmers. While at the latter,
he decided to launch his own car in 1924 and shortly afterwards the
Chrysler Corporation.The
first Chrysler, the B70, was an exciting machine for its time. Labelled
‘70’ because of its top speed when 50 m.p.h. was considered
fast for production cars, it possessed four-wheel hydraulic brakes
when others had two-wheel mechanical affairs and had a high compression
and (relatively) high-revving engine, a six- cylinder 3.3-litre unit
with seven main bearings. Dressed in a racy appearance, no wonder
it initiated a series of successful models which made Chrysler a big
name by the end of the decade, the achievement being symbolised by
the construction in Manhattan, New York, of the now famous Chrysler
Building, an Art-Deco skyscraper which could claim for a short period
to be the world’s tallest building. |
It
did not take long for the B70 to be thrown into competition. Ralph
de Palma, winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1915 on a Mercedes (ironically
to be Chrysler’s future partner), took one in the summer of 1924
to the Mt Wilson hill-climb and won in record time. Shortly afterwards,
he squeezed 1,000 miles out of a B70 in 1,007 minutes on a one-mile
board track in California! The following January with one stripped
of lights, mudguards and windscreen, he covered the thousand miles
in just 786 minutes.Five
months later two B70s were entered for Le Mans although only one started.
This was the first appearance of a wholly American car in the classic
race - I have to qualify my statement because one could argue that
the Montier Special (a runner in 1923-25) was basically a Model T
Ford and therefore American; but it was so heavily modified (an overhead-valve
engine, four-speed gearbox, new bodywork) that it does not really
withstand the challenge and besides, the French claim it as one of
theirs anyway!The
Chrysler was driven by Henry Stoffel, who in 1931 brought a Mercedes
SSK to second place (further links with the future!) and Lucien Desvaux.
It had a special four-seater body with a hood that the regulations
demanded be erected for the first twenty laps while the fitting of
Rudge Whitworth wire wheels and Marchal lights reflected the two main
sponsors of the event. The white-painted car was given the number
seven and it lined up for the very first Le Mans-type start, a custom
to become so famous until safety considerations terminated the practice
in 1970. |
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A
toe in the water effort in 2000 with two hopeless Reynard 2KQ chassis
soon convinced Hughes de Chaunac, the ORECA boss, of the urgent need
for a bespoke chassis and, having briefly considered doing their own,
the team settle for a healthy collaboration with the well-tried Dallara
firm in Parma. Thus emerged the excellent chassis of the current Chrysler
LMP900 which made its race debut at Donington Park in April.There
it revealed much promise despite manifold teething problems, and three
of them came to the start of this year’s race at Le Mans. Two
retirements, one fiery and late in the race, did not detract from
the fourth place of the Beretta - Wendlinger - Lamy car. Thus, after that first appearance those seventy-six years ago, Le Mans was enriched with Chrysler contenders for outright victory and this writer hopes very much that, together with the superb record on the tracks of the Vipers, these new cars will ensure a continued ‘up’ in Chrysler’s racing history. |