Ferenc Szisz
Encyclopedia
Ferenc Szisz was a Hungarian
race car driver and the winner of the first Grand Prix motor racing
event on a Renault Grand Prix
90CV on 26 June, 1906.
Szisz was born in the small town of Szeghalom
in Békés county
of the Hungarian
part the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was trained to be a locksmith but in his early twenties the growing proliferation of automobiles fascinated Szisz and he studied engineering
. After time spent in several Austria
n and German
cities, in the spring of 1900 he ended up in Paris, France where he found work at the new Renault
automobile company.
At Renault, Szisz's engineering talent made him an integral part of the testing department, and when the company became involved in racing in 1902 he was chosen as the riding mechanic for Louis Renault
. Following the death of Marcel Renault
in the 1903 Paris-Madrid race, Szisz took over as a driver. In 1905, he finished fifth in the Gordon Bennett Cup
elimination race on the Circuit d'Auvergne at Clermont-Ferrand
. In October of that same year, along with other French and Italian automobile manufacturers, Renault sent a team to the United States
to compete in the Vanderbilt Cup
on Long Island, New York. In a field that included Felice Nazzaro
and Louis Chevrolet
driving for Fiat
, Szisz finished fifth behind the winner, fellow Frenchman Victor Hémery
driving a Darracq
.
Szisz's primary duties as the head of testing at Renault limited the number of races he could compete in. However, in 1906 he achieved a permanent place in the annals of auto racing when he and his riding mechanic M. Marteau drove a Renault AK 90CV to victory in the first Grand Prix race
in Le Mans
. He averaged 101.2 kilometres per hour (62.9 mph). His victory in the French Grand Prix
and the commercial success of the race soon led to the establishing of other Grand Prix races throughout Europe
. The following year, Italy's Felice Nazzaro
, who had finished second behind Szisz, captured the second French Grand Prix. Szisz competed in the 1908 race but did not finish and suffered a similar fate following mechanical problems in Savannah, Georgia
at an American Grand Prize race organized by the Automobile Club of America.
In early 1909, Szisz left Renault to open his own garage in Neuilly-sur-Seine
. In July 1914, Fernand Charron
lured him out of retirement to drive an Alda
in the French Grand Prix
at Lyon
. In a race won by Christian Lautenschlager
in a Mercedes
, Szisz was honored with the number 1 for his car, but an injury forced him out just past half distance. European automobile racing ended in September with the onset of World War I
and Szisz joined the French army, serving as head of the transport troops in Algeria
until being hospitalized with typhoid fever
. At war's end, he went to work for an aircraft company until his retirement to a cottage in the country at Auffargis
not far from Paris, where he died in 1944.
Ferenc Szisz and his wife are buried in the churchyard cemetery in Auffargis. The Szisz Museum is part of the Renault Museum located near the Le Mans
racetrack.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
race car driver and the winner of the first Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
event on a Renault Grand Prix
Renault Grand Prix
The Renault Grand Prix was a race car manufactured between 1906 and 1908 by French car maker Renault. It was also known as Renault Grand Prix de l'A.C.F. . After the A.C.F...
90CV on 26 June, 1906.
Szeghalom
Szeghalom is a town in Békés county, in southeastern Hungary. It is located at around .Szeghalom's football club is in the regional 1 league.It has a stadium with capicities over 500 people.-External links:*...
in Békés county
Békés (former county)
Békés is a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory, which was smaller than that of present Békés county, is presently in southeastern Hungary. The capital of the county was Gyula.-Geography:...
of the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
part the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was trained to be a locksmith but in his early twenties the growing proliferation of automobiles fascinated Szisz and he studied engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. After time spent in several Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
cities, in the spring of 1900 he ended up in Paris, France where he found work at the new Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
automobile company.
At Renault, Szisz's engineering talent made him an integral part of the testing department, and when the company became involved in racing in 1902 he was chosen as the riding mechanic for Louis Renault
Louis Renault (industrialist)
Louis Renault was a French industrialist, one of the founders of Renault and a pioneer of the automobile industry....
. Following the death of Marcel Renault
Marcel Renault
Marcel Renault was a French racing car driver and industrialist, co-founder of the car maker Renault, and the brother of Louis and Fernand Renault....
in the 1903 Paris-Madrid race, Szisz took over as a driver. In 1905, he finished fifth in the Gordon Bennett Cup
Gordon Bennett Cup in auto racing
As one of three Gordon Bennett Cups established by James Gordon Bennett, Jr., millionaire owner of the New York Herald, the automobile racing award was first given in 1900 in France....
elimination race on the Circuit d'Auvergne at Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
. In October of that same year, along with other French and Italian automobile manufacturers, Renault sent a team to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to compete in the Vanderbilt Cup
Vanderbilt Cup
The Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing.-History:An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1904 and first held at a course set out in Nassau County on Long Island, New York. The announcement that the race was to be held caused...
on Long Island, New York. In a field that included Felice Nazzaro
Felice Nazzaro
Felice Nazzaro was an Italian racecar driver, a native of Turin. He won the Kaiserpreis in 1907 as well as the French Grand Prix in 1907 and 1922 and Targa Florio in 1907 and 1913. His European wins in 1907 resulted in an invitation to compete in the 1908 American Grand Prize in Savannah, Georgia,...
and Louis Chevrolet
Louis Chevrolet
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was a Swiss-born American race car driver of French descent, co-founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911 and later, the Frontenac Motor Corporation in 1916 which made racing parts for Ford's Model T.-Early life:Born in 1878 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a center of...
driving for Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, Szisz finished fifth behind the winner, fellow Frenchman Victor Hémery
Victor Hémery
Victor Hémery was a champion driver of early Grand Prix motor racing who was born in Sillé-le-Guillaume, France, Sarthe, France. In 1904 he joined Automobiles Darracq S.A. as their chief tester and helped prepare cars to compete in that year's Gordon Bennett Cup...
driving a Darracq
Darracq
Automobiles Darracq S.A. was a French motor vehicle manufacturing company founded in 1896 by Alexandre Darracq.Using part of the substantial profit he had made from selling his Gladiator bicycle factory, Alexandre Darracq began operating from a plant in the Parisian suburb of Suresnes...
.
Szisz's primary duties as the head of testing at Renault limited the number of races he could compete in. However, in 1906 he achieved a permanent place in the annals of auto racing when he and his riding mechanic M. Marteau drove a Renault AK 90CV to victory in the first Grand Prix race
1906 French Grand Prix
The 1906 Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France, commonly known as the 1906 French Grand Prix, was a motor race held on 26 and 27 June 1906, on closed public roads outside the city of Le Mans...
in Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
. He averaged 101.2 kilometres per hour (62.9 mph). His victory in the French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
and the commercial success of the race soon led to the establishing of other Grand Prix races throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The following year, Italy's Felice Nazzaro
Felice Nazzaro
Felice Nazzaro was an Italian racecar driver, a native of Turin. He won the Kaiserpreis in 1907 as well as the French Grand Prix in 1907 and 1922 and Targa Florio in 1907 and 1913. His European wins in 1907 resulted in an invitation to compete in the 1908 American Grand Prize in Savannah, Georgia,...
, who had finished second behind Szisz, captured the second French Grand Prix. Szisz competed in the 1908 race but did not finish and suffered a similar fate following mechanical problems in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
at an American Grand Prize race organized by the Automobile Club of America.
In early 1909, Szisz left Renault to open his own garage in Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
. In July 1914, Fernand Charron
Fernand Charron
Fernand Charron was a French pioneer of motor racing. He started his sporting career as a successful cyclist.Between 1897 and 1903 he took part in 18 car races, 4 of which he won: Fernand Charron (1866 – 13 August 1928) was a French pioneer of motor racing. He started his sporting career as a...
lured him out of retirement to drive an Alda
Alda (automobile)
The Alda was a French automobile created by Fernand Charron of Charron, Girardot et Voigt . It was manufactured between 1912 and 1922. The car had a dashboard radiator and a inline-four engine that was claimed to be capable of going "6 to 47 mph in top gear"...
in the French Grand Prix
1914 French Grand Prix
The 1914 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Lyon on 4 July 1914.-The Race:The restriction on Grand Prix cars for 1914 included an maximum weight and a 4500cc maximum engine capacity....
at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. In a race won by Christian Lautenschlager
Christian Lautenschlager
Christian Friedrich Lautenschlager was a German Grand Prix motor racing champion.Born in the village of Magstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany near Stuttgart, Christian Lautenschlager was 14 years old when he began training for a career as a machinist at a company in Stuttgart...
in a Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, Szisz was honored with the number 1 for his car, but an injury forced him out just past half distance. European automobile racing ended in September with the onset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Szisz joined the French army, serving as head of the transport troops in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
until being hospitalized with typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
. At war's end, he went to work for an aircraft company until his retirement to a cottage in the country at Auffargis
Auffargis
Auffargis is a commune in the Yvelines department in north-central France....
not far from Paris, where he died in 1944.
Ferenc Szisz and his wife are buried in the churchyard cemetery in Auffargis. The Szisz Museum is part of the Renault Museum located near the Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
racetrack.