Pierre Maréchal
Encyclopedia
Jean-Pierre Maréchal was an engineer and racing driver who died after his Aston Martin
team car crashed in the first postwar running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
endurance race.
French-born, he settled in England and acquired British nationality.
, driving hydroplanes owned by family friend Count Soriano — at the age of 13.
He was educated at Downside School
, England. From there he joined Ford’s engineering training program but chronic back pain soon forced him to abandon the course.
At the onset of the Second World War he volunteered for the British army but was invalided out in 1940 because of the problems with his back. He then worked for Freddie Miles, of Miles Aircraft
, and finally opened a small auto engineering business in Cheltenham
, England.
He raced a modified vintage Bentley Speed Six
after the war but declared a preference for his Duesenberg
as a road car. Briggs Cunningham
, the American millionaire racer and car collector, bought the Bentley from Maréchal's widow; it is now displayed in the Collier Automotive Museum in Naples, Florida, USA.
Maréchal was a member of the class-winning Ecurie du Lapin Blanc HRG
sports car team in the 1948 Spa 24 Hours
race. At this event, for the first time in Europe, the team introduced radio communication between drivers and pit crew. The innovation enabled one of the drivers to repair his car on the circuit and helped the team to win the coveted Coupe du Roi. Maréchal's outstanding natural flair brought him to the attention of Leslie Johnson
, who won the race outright in a prototype Aston Martin shared with St John Horsfall. Johnson picked Maréchal to partner T.A.S.O. Mathieson in one of three Aston Martins entered by the manufacturer for the 1949 Le Mans 24-hour race
.
At Le Mans, Maréchal's car was well placed - 7th overall, 4th in the Index of Performance - when a brake line fractured, causing a brake fluid leak. He continued. Six laps later, with little more than an hour left to run, the brakes failed altogether. The car crashed heavily and rolled, tearing the engine from its mountings and flattening the roof. Maréchal was trapped inside. Delage
driver Louis Gérard, first on the scene, stopped to extricate him, losing two laps in the process. (Gérard would finish fourth.) Maréchal was taken to the nearby Delagenière clinic, where he succumbed to his injuries the next day. He was buried in his family's vault at Bailly, near Versailles. He was 33.
The newspaper Ouest-France
noted: Le circuit 1949...fait une victime et un parmi les hommes les plus doués de ceux qui participèrent à l'épreuve.
Maréchal left a wife, Brigid, née Macnamara — they had married in 1942; and a son, Christian.
Several years later Brigid Maréchal married Leslie Johnson. Christian Maréchal became a journalist, advertising copywriter and creative director, and helped pioneer the UK ultralight aviation
market.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
team car crashed in the first postwar running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
endurance race.
French-born, he settled in England and acquired British nationality.
Biographical Details
Son of the French entrepreneur, film producer and Titanic survivor of the same name, Pierre Maréchal won his first races — at Santander, CantabriaSantander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, driving hydroplanes owned by family friend Count Soriano — at the age of 13.
He was educated at Downside School
Downside School
Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
, England. From there he joined Ford’s engineering training program but chronic back pain soon forced him to abandon the course.
At the onset of the Second World War he volunteered for the British army but was invalided out in 1940 because of the problems with his back. He then worked for Freddie Miles, of Miles Aircraft
Miles Aircraft
Miles was the name used to market the aircraft of British engineer Frederick George Miles, who designed numerous light civil and military aircraft and a range of curious prototypes...
, and finally opened a small auto engineering business in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, England.
Bentley Speed Six
The regular Bentley 6½ Litre and the high-performance Bentley Speed Six were Bentley cars in production from 1926 to 1930. They were created out of the desire for more engine power by Walter Owen Bentley by adding two cylinders to the straight-4 engine used in his Bentley 4½ Litre car. The Speed...
after the war but declared a preference for his Duesenberg
Duesenberg
Duesenberg was an Auburn, Indiana based American luxury automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for its high-quality passenger cars and record-breaking racing cars.-History:...
as a road car. Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
, the American millionaire racer and car collector, bought the Bentley from Maréchal's widow; it is now displayed in the Collier Automotive Museum in Naples, Florida, USA.
Maréchal was a member of the class-winning Ecurie du Lapin Blanc HRG
HRG Engineering Company
HRG Engineering Company also known as HRG, was a British car manufacturer based in Tolworth, Surrey. Founded in 1936 by Major Edward Halford, Guy Robins and Henry Ronald Godfrey, it took its name from the first letter of their surnames....
sports car team in the 1948 Spa 24 Hours
Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
race. At this event, for the first time in Europe, the team introduced radio communication between drivers and pit crew. The innovation enabled one of the drivers to repair his car on the circuit and helped the team to win the coveted Coupe du Roi. Maréchal's outstanding natural flair brought him to the attention of Leslie Johnson
Leslie Johnson
Leslie George Johnson was a British racing driver who competed in rallies, hill climbs, sports car races and Grand Prix races.-Overview:...
, who won the race outright in a prototype Aston Martin shared with St John Horsfall. Johnson picked Maréchal to partner T.A.S.O. Mathieson in one of three Aston Martins entered by the manufacturer for the 1949 Le Mans 24-hour race
1949 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 17th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 25 and 26 1949.This was the first race held following the end of World War II...
.
At Le Mans, Maréchal's car was well placed - 7th overall, 4th in the Index of Performance - when a brake line fractured, causing a brake fluid leak. He continued. Six laps later, with little more than an hour left to run, the brakes failed altogether. The car crashed heavily and rolled, tearing the engine from its mountings and flattening the roof. Maréchal was trapped inside. Delage
Delage
Delage was a French luxury automobile and racecar company founded in 1905 by Louis Delage in Levallois-Perret near Paris; it was acquired by Delahaye in 1935 and ceased operation in 1953.-History:...
driver Louis Gérard, first on the scene, stopped to extricate him, losing two laps in the process. (Gérard would finish fourth.) Maréchal was taken to the nearby Delagenière clinic, where he succumbed to his injuries the next day. He was buried in his family's vault at Bailly, near Versailles. He was 33.
The newspaper Ouest-France
Ouest-France
Ouest-France is a provincial daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on local news and events. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régions of Brittany, Lower Normandy and Pays de la Loire...
noted: Le circuit 1949...fait une victime et un parmi les hommes les plus doués de ceux qui participèrent à l'épreuve.
Maréchal left a wife, Brigid, née Macnamara — they had married in 1942; and a son, Christian.
Several years later Brigid Maréchal married Leslie Johnson. Christian Maréchal became a journalist, advertising copywriter and creative director, and helped pioneer the UK ultralight aviation
Ultralight aviation
The term "ultralight aviation" refers to light-weight, 1- or 2-person airplanes., also called microlight aircraft in the UK, India and New Zealand...
market.
External links
- Mr Pierre Maréchal - Titanic Biography - Encyclopedia Titanica at www.encyclopedia-titanica.org Encyclopedia TitanicaEncyclopedia TitanicaEncyclopedia Titanica is an online reference work containing extensive and constantly-updated information on the . The website, a nonprofit endeavor, is a database of passenger and crew biographies, deck plans, and articles submitted by historians or Titanic enthusiasts...
biography of Maréchal's father with links to newspaper accounts of his escape from RMS Titanic - LAOS - Search Results - Work in Archive at www.luerzersarchive.us Lürzer's Archive