Jean-Pierre Wimille
Two-time Le Mans winner and French Resistance agent
Jean-Pierre Wimille (26 February 1908 – 28 January 1949) was a French racing driver and a member of the French Resistance during World War II. He was a two-time victor of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning in 1937 and 1939. He is generally regarded as one of the best French drivers of his era. In 1949, he was killed when he crashed his car into a tree while practicing for a race.
Quick Facts
- Notable co-driver
- Robert Benoist (1937), Pierre Veyron (1939)
Lore & Background
Wimille was born in Paris, France to a father who was employed as the motoring correspondent for the Petit Parisien newspaper. He developed a fascination with racing cars at a young age. He was 22 years old when he made his Grand Prix debut, driving a Bugatti 37A at the 1930 French Grand Prix in Pau. During World War II, he joined the clandestine Special Operations Executive of Britain, which aided the French Resistance. He survived the war; fellow drivers William Grover-Williams and Robert Benoist were captured by the Germans and executed. After his escape from a German raid, he continued to be involved in the resistance movement. Following the Liberation of Paris, he worked as a liaison officer with the invading Allied forces and later joined the Armée de l'air, in which he flew reconnaissance missions using Bell P-63s and held the rank of Lieutenant.
Reader's Guide
Wimille's racing career included victories at the 1937 and 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a Bugatti T57G with Robert Benoist in 1937 and a Bugatti Type 57C with Pierre Veyron in 1939. He also won the French Grand Prix in 1936 and 1948, the Swiss Grand Prix in 1947, and the Belgian Grand Prix in 1947, among many other races. After the war, he built and designed cars in Paris under the brand-name Wimille, with around eight cars built between 1946 and 1950.
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