The 1936 24 Hours of Le Mans was originally planned to be the 14th Grand Prix of Endurance to be held on 14 and 15 June 1936. However, after several years of economic recession, France was in the middle of the turmoil and civil unrest sweeping over Europe. A general strike across the country in the wake of the recent electoral victory of the Popular Front had only been resolved days before scrutineering was due to start. In response to the dominance of the German teams in grand prix racing, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) had chosen to run their Grand Prix to a sports-car formula, which would in turn be eligible to run at Le Mans. Owing to the strikes, many of the teams had been unable to prepare their cars sufficiently, and even such matters as getting fuel, transportation or fuel for entrants and spectators would be difficult.
Therefore, at the beginning of June, the ACO organisers postponed the race. However, at the end of the month, being unable to arrange a suitable alternative date later in the year with the motorsport governing body (the AIACR), the event was cancelled.
There had been fifty-eight entries applied at the time of cancellation. It comprised French teams of Talbot, Delahaye, and Delage, along with privateer cars using Alfa Romeo, Lagonda, and Bugatti.
Regulations The AIACR had introduced the new 750 kg Grand Prix Formula in 1934. It had taken a year, but the state-sponsored German teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union now dominated racing. The formerly pre-eminent teams of Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Bugatti had tried to compete but were quite out-classed. After two years with no success, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) decided not to hold the French Grand Prix to the AIACR formula. That meant, of course, that it was no longer part of the European Championship, but in a period of growing international tensions, the ACF wanted to return French national pride in their motorsport.Spurring 2017, p.224 Their answer was to run the Grand Prix to its own, new regulations – open to two-seater, open-top cars matching the manufacturers' public purchase catalogues. There were no limits placed on engine-capacity nor weight, however supercharging was prohibited. At least 20 had to have been built by January 1, 1936, or in the process of being built.
This was strongly supported by French motor-industry and followed a similar ban on supercharged cars by the British RAC for the 1934 International Tourist Trophy. The Le Mans race was scheduled two weeks before the French Grand Prix and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) promptly ratified that ACF-regulation cars would be given entry. They did choose to keep the racing-classes from the previous year. They also allowed superchargers but raised the equivalency calculation of capacity from x1.4 to x1.6.
Entries The changes by the ACF in turn provided the incentive for probably the strongest Le Mans entry list to date. This meant that French cars once again had the very real prospect of outright victory. A dozen cars came from the ACF regulations – from Delahaye, Delage and Talbot-Lago. The new Bugatti was not ready though. Of the 58 cars, fully 30 could be classed as works, or works-supported, entries, representing 13 manufacturers.Spurring 2017, p.223Bernard et al 2023, p.80 It also saw the entry of Adler, only the second German manufacturer to enter Le Mans. From the previous year’s race, there were sixteen cars entering for the Coupe Bienniale.Spurring 2017, p.222
Category Entries Classes Large-sized engines 23 over 3-litre Medium-sized engines 10 1.5 to 3-litre Small-sized engines 25 up to 1.5-litre Total entrants 58
Official entry list List taken from Quentin Spurring's book, officially licensed by the ACO.Spurring 2017, p.2 It references the ACO archives which had a provisional numbering by an official. Normally sorted by engine capacity, there are several cars out of the regular sequence that would have been corrected for the final race entry list.Spurring 2017, p.223
Class Team Drivers Chassis Engine BiennialEntry 1 4.0+ * / F.J. McEvoy(private entrant) / Frederick McEvoy Mercedes-Benz 540K Mercedes-Benz 5.4L S8supercharged 2 4.0+ * G. Nancy(private entrant) Georges Nancy . Pehache Bugatti Type 50 Sports Bugatti 5.0L S8supercharged 23 4.0+ * R. Labric(private entrant) Roger Labric Bugatti Type 50 Sports Bugatti 5.0L S8supercharged 34 4.0+ * "Jean Renaldi"(private entrant) "Jean Renaldi" (André Carré) Bugatti Type 50 Sports Bugatti 5.0L S8supercharged 3 4.0+ Arthur W. Fox Brian Lewis, Baron Essendon Tim Rose-Richards Lagonda M45 Rapide Meadows 4.4L S6 B 4 5.0 Arthur W. Fox Goldie Gardner Freddy Clifford Lagonda M45 Rapide Meadows 4.4L S6 5 4.0+ E. Hall(private entrant) Eddie Hall Bentley TT 4.5 Bentley 4.3L S6 6 4.0 Automobiles Talbot-Lago René Dreyfus Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L S6 7 4.0 Automobiles Talbot-Lago André Morel Jim Bradley Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L S6 8 4.0 P. Louis-Dreyfus(private entrant) "Heldé" (Pierre Louis-Dreyfus) Talbot T150C Talbot 4.0L S6 B 9 3.0 L. Chinetti (private entrant) Luigi Chinetti Raymond Sommer Alfa Romeo 8C-2900 A Alfa Romeo 2.9L S8 10 4.0 * Viscomte P. Merlin(private entrant) Viscomte Pierre Merlin Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 LM Alfa Romeo 2.3L S8supercharged 11 4.0 * J. Chancerelle(private entrant) J. Chancerelle Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 LM Alfa Romeo 2.3L S8supercharged 12 4.0 / L. O'Reilly Schell(private entrant) / Lucy O'Reilly Schell René Carrière Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 14 4.0 L. Villeneuve(private entrant) Louis Villeneuve André Vagniez Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 B 15 4.0 "Michel Paris" (private entrant) "Michel Paris" (Henri Toulouse) Marcel Mongin Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 B 16 4.0 Société des Automobiles Delahaye . Dhôme Albert Perrot Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 18 4.0 Société des AutomobilesDelahaye Albert Divo Robert Girod Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 19 4.0 Écurie Jacques Menier(private entrant) Philippe Maillard-Brune Charles Druck Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 B 20 4.0 D. Porthault(private entrant) Daniel Porthault René Marie Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 21 4.0 R. Le Bègue(private entrant) Réné Le Bègue Jean Danne Delahaye 135 CS Delahaye 3.6L S6 22 4.0 E. Chaboud(private entrant) Eugène Chaboud Jean Trémoulet Delahaye 138 Spéciale Delahaye 3.6L S6 - 4.0 Earl Howe(private entrant) Francis Curzon, Earl Howe Bugatti Type 57T Bugatti 3.3L S8 24 3.0 R. Kippeurt(private entrant) René Kippeurt Bugatti Type 44 Bugatti 3.0L S8 25 4.0 Société Nouvelle desAutomobiles Delage Henri Fretet Robert Laly Delage D6-80 Delage 3.2L S6 - 4.0 Société Nouvelle desAutomobiles Delage Delage D6-80 Delage 3.2L S6 26 2.0 J.C. Noël(private entrant) Charles Brackenbury Pat Fairfield Aston Martin Speed Aston Martin 1967cc S4 B 27 2.0 Aston Martin Ltd Sammy Davis Bill Everitt Aston Martin Speed Aston Martin 1967cc S4 28 2.0 G. Pfister(private entrant) Guy Pfister Jean-Pierre Rault Citroën Traction Avant 11CV Citroën 1911cc S4 29 2.0 * E. Hertzberger (private entrant) Eddie Hertzberger MG K3 Magnette MG 1087cc S4supercharged 43 2.0 * Capt. G.E.T. Eyston MG K3 Magnette MG 1087cc S4supercharged B 30 2.0 Mme A.-C. Rose-Itier(private entrant) Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier ? . Boetzkes Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4 sidevalve B 31 2.0 Adlerwerke Rudolf Sauerwein Peter Graf Orssich Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4 sidevalve 32 2.0 Adlerwerke Wilhelm "Max", Prinz zuSchaumburg-Lippe ? Edouard Legré Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4 sidevalve 33 2.0 Adlerwerke Otto Löhr Paul von Guillaume Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousine Adler 1645cc S4 sidevalve 35 1.5 Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd "Tim Davies" (Dudley Folland) Alfred Fane Frazer Nash Gough 1496cc S4 36 1.5 Riley (Coventry) Ltd Jean Sébilleau Cyril Paul Riley TT Sprite Riley 1496cc S4B 37 1.5 Riley (Coventry) Ltd Alex “Bill” van der Becke Edgar Maclure Riley TT Sprite Riley 1496cc S4 38 1.5 Riley (Coventry) Ltd J. Trévoux(private entrant) Jean Trévoux Charles Dobson Riley TT Sprite Riley 1496cc S4 39 1.5 Aston Martin Ltd . Headlam Boris Harcourt-Wood Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4 40 1.5 Aston Martin Ltd Dr Dudley Benjafield Jim Elwes Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4 41 1.5 Aston Martin Ltd Mortimer Morris-Goodall Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4 42 1.5 C.T. Thomas(private entrant) Aston Martin Ulster Aston Martin 1494cc S4B 44 1.5 M.K.H. Bilney(private entrant) Maurice Bilney Joan Richmond Ford 10 Model CX Special Ford 1172cc S4 45 750 Amédée Gordini SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4 46 750 Amédée Gordini SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4 47 750 Amédée Gordini SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4 48 750 M. Moly(private entrant) SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4 49 750 Clément-Auguste Martin (private entrant) Clément-Auguste Martin SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4 50 750 J.-É. Vernet(private entrant) Just-Émile Vernet Gaston Tramer SIMCA Cinq Gordini Simca 570cc S4 51 1.0 Team Autosports F.S. Barnes(private entrant) Norman Black Tommy Wisdom Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 973cc S4 B 52 1.0 Team Autosports R. Eccles(private entrant) Roy Eccles Marjorie Eccles Singer Nine Le Mans Replica Singer 973cc S4 B 53 1.0 Team Autosports M. Collier(private entrant) Michael Collier Alf Langley Singer Nine Le Mans Singer 973cc S4 54 1.0 A.R. Marsh(private entrant) Arthur Marsh Trevor Guest Singer Nine Le Mans Singer 973cc S4 55 1.0 R. Gaillard(private entrant) Raymond Gaillard . Corbell Singer Nine Le Mans Singer 973cc S4 B 56 750 Austin Motor Co. Pat Driscoll Charles Goodacre Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 B 57 750 Austin Motor Co. Elsie Wisdom Kay Petre Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 58 750 Austin Motor Co. Charles Dodson Donald Barnes Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 59 750 J. Carr(private entrant) John Carr John Barbour Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 B 60 750 R. Marsh(private entrant) Austin 7 AEK Grasshopper Austin 749cc S4 BSources:Spurring 2017, p.222 Note *: equivalent class for supercharging, with x1.6 modifier to engine capacity.Spurring 2017, p.224
Disruption and cancellation Throughout the mid-1930s, France had been undergoing major economic and political upheaval – as had much of Europe, as opinions became more polarised to fascist and communist groups. Unemployment, inflation, class inequality and military friction with Germany all contributed to the violent unrest.Spurring 2017, p.225 In the general election in May, it was the popular Front coalition of leftist parties that swept into power under Léon Blum. The second mass general strike occurred on 26 May to pressure the new government to pass sweeping reforms. Over two million workers from all over the country, including from the automobile factories, walked off the job for better work conditions. The strikes spread until five million workers were involved.Clarke 1998, pp.148: Motor Jun16 1936Laban 2001, p.83 However, there were no major riots. Ettore Bugatti was shut out of his own factory at Molsheim and the new car for the ACF could not be readied in time for Le Mans.Clausager 1982, p.64 At the occupied Renault plant there were 25,000 strikers who were kept in high spirits by a fine Senegalese men's choir.
By the time the government was able to negotiate a settlement it was 7th June. This was only three days before the nominal start of race-scrutineering. Faced with fuel shortages and the prospect that many entrants, and spectators, would be unable to get transport, accommodation or even food for the event, the ACO therefore announced that the race would be postponed. There was also the issue of having sufficient workers to prepare the public roads used for the circuit and getting officials and marshals to run the event.