By Brenda Williams
Jean-Pierre Wimille was born in Paris on February 26,1908. His father was a motor sports enthusiast who wrote for the Petit Parisien newspaper. However, Jean-Pierre's role model was Robert Benoist who was France's star driver at that time. Jean-Pierre began his racing career when he was 22. He started out as a wild driver but his victories soon identified him as a rising star on the racing horizon. In 1933, Robert Benoist, who led the Bugatti team and who had been Wimille's inspiration hired Jean-Pierre to drive for them. However, the company was having difficulty competing in Grand Prix racing, with the new kids on the block, Mercedes and Auto Union, and decided to concentrate on sports car racing. So in 1937 Wimille found himself teamed with Benoist in the 24 Hours of LeMans. They won the event and Wimille became the fourth driver in auto racing history to win the 24 Hours of LeMans on his first attempt.
Wimille tried another race in a single seater with Enzo Ferrari in 1938 but by then the German teams dominated. Later, Enzo would refer to Jean-Pierre as "one of the greatest drivers representing France." Wimille went back to Bugatti in 1939 and won the 24 Hours of LeMans a second time, this time partnered with Pierre Veyron. But World War 2 erupted and Wimille joined the French Armee de l' Air. Defeat came soon and his unit was demobilized as the Nazis occupied France. He and his two colleagues and friends, Grover-Williams and Robert Benoist fled to England where they were recruited into the Special Operations Executive (SOE). This was a British Intelligence Unit that had been formed to assist resistance outfits in the Nazi occupied countries of Europe.
All three, following intensive training were re-assigned back to France to develop a sabotage network known as 'Chestnut.' Unfortunately, the Nazis discovered the network and raided their headquarters. Wimille escaped, sprinting between the parked cars, and finally diving into a stream where he floated with only his nose above the water's surface until the Germans departed. His partners, Benoist and Grover-Williams were arrested and later executed. When Paris was liberated, Wimille joined the Free French Air Force and flew missions over Germany.
After the war, he resumed his racing career with his first race being the Robert Benoist Cup. He won. Then he began racing for Alfa Romeo and Simca-Gordini. Jean-Pierre raced and won against Juan-Manuel Fangio in the Grand Prix of Rosario in South America. In Europe, he racked up one Grand Prix win after another earning the reputation of Europe's best driver. In January of 1949 Wimille left for Argentina to compete in the Grand Prix General Peron in Buenos Aires. During a practice session, he crashed, crushing his chest and suffering serious head injuries. He was dead on arrival at the hospital.
Racing experts agree that had there been a World Championship in 1948 Wimille would have won it. Later the French government posthumously honored Jean-Pierre with the Legion d'Honneur and erected a memorial to him at the Porte Dauphine.
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