1929 Grand Prix de Monaco

The very first Grand Prix de Monaco took place on April 14th, 1929.

It was created as to bring international prestige to the Principality.

Sixteen drivers participated in that inaugural race, including Rudolf Caracciola, René Dreyfus, Philippe Étancelin and William Charles Frederick Grover-Williams.

That first race was won by Grover-Williams racing a Bugatti Type 35B.

Pen&ink, paint markers and markers on 18"x 12.75" (45.5cm x 32.5cm) blue archival paper © Paul Chenard    

I decided to create an artwork showing him in his Bugatti, and had a B&W photo as reference. I did the art on blue paper, as most often Bugatti's were in French racing blue.

After starting the art, I found out that he was racing in British racing green, so I used a yellow marker on the blue paper to get the green.

A happy mistake!

Le Grand Prix de Monaco

The Grand Prix de Monaco is still going strong since that first race in 1929.

There is none other like it in the world, a high speed race through a historic city center, with changes in elevation, sharp corners, and no place to pass!

With glamorous coastal setting, facing the turquoise waters of the Ligurian Sea, this playground for the ultra-rich on the French Riviera has been on the must-win wish-list of many, if not all, the Grand Prix drivers.



William Grover in a factory Bugatti Type 35B won that 1929 race.





Bugattis, followed up by Alfa Romeos, dominated the early years; Mercedes finished up the pre-war years.





Italian cars, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari won in the early post-war years, then the British Lotus, Cooper, BRM and Tyrrell teams dominated till the mid-1970’s.





Ferrari would come back, mixed in with wins by Wolf, Williams, Brabham, Benetton, Ligier, Renault, Brawn, Red Bull, Mercedes, and many by McLaren.





And Ferrari has now won their first in 16 years!!

Racing the current wide-track Formula 1 cars through the somewhat garish streets of Monaco is borderline ridiculous but at the same time, that’s the beauty of it. It’s the only remaining unchanged race track of the Formula 1 circuits (or should I say circus?) so the drivers are following in the tracks of history, of the greatness of the past exploits.

Nothing can beat that …

Painting at the Silverstone Classic 2014

With the Silverstone Classic being one of the world’s top historic racing events, I thought it was worthwhile to attend.



I’m represented in the UK by the Historic Car Art gallery, and they had a stand set up in the Art Kiosque, showing some of my art.




To make things rather more interesting, I thought I would work on an acrylic on canvas painting there over the weekend.



I chose to paint Sir Stirling Moss racing his Maserati 250F to win the 1956 Grand Prix de Monaco.

Painting in front of the crowds is never boring, and though I didn’t move very far ahead in my painting, I had a great time chatting with onlookers and making great contacts. Many friends dropped by to say "Hello" which I always love, and I also chatted with fellow artists in the kiosque. I even generated a few sales!

I did miss the great racing and featured events, but I still had fun!

René Dreyfus - Bugatti Star

Frenchman René Dreyfus was born in Nice in 1905.


When he was 22, he convinced his mother that he needed a Bugatti to get to the clients of his paper company faster. He actually used it for racing.

He was hired as a driver by a local Bugatti dealer, and in 1929 won the Grand Prix de Dieppe in a Type 35B. His real fame came when he beat the factory team driver Chiron in the 1930 Grand Prix de Monaco.

He was briefly with the Maserati team and later joined the Bugatti factory team. With them, he won the 1934 Grand Prix de Belgique, driving a Type 59.



For 1935, he drove for Scuderia Ferrari, alongside drivers like Nuvolari and Chiron. Dreyfus had one more major win before the war, racing a Delahaye to victory at the 1938 Grand Prix de Pau.

He went to the U.S. to race in the 1940 Indianapolis 500, finishing a creditable 10th place. It became impossible to return because of World War Two, so he stayed.


He enlisted in the United States Army during the war, and at the end of it became an American citizen. He opened the famous “Le Chanteclair” restaurant in New York City in 1953, which became a gathering place for the rich and famous, and for the racers coming to the city.

Dreyfus died in New York City in 1993.

Automotive Decoration …

When I moved into my apartment in November 2012, I decided that I would decorate it with my racing history collection and art.





It’s taken a little while to make choices of what to put up, and how to arrange it.





I’ve now reached a point of finish that feels right.





I must add that there was a lovely large blank wall in my living room, so I decorated that with a large acrylic painting of the 1961 Grand Prix de Monaco grid.





Automotive racing history really is my passion; why not show it off?

My First Wall Mural

When you were young, your parents probably forbade you from drawing on the walls ...

Now that I've moved into my apartment, I noticed a lovely blank wall in my living room, ripe for art.
Acrylic on latex, 75"x 42" (109cm x 107cm) 


Well, I finished my mural, an acrylic painting (my second ever!) representing the grid moments before the start of the 1961 Grand Prix de Monaco.

I hope that my parents would approve ...

Mercedes-Benz W25

Until 1934, three automotive companies dominated Grand Prix racing: Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, and Maserati. Each year, these companies produced racecars that were faster and more powerful than those of the previous year.

The Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR), the controlling body for motor sport in the 1930s, decided to change the requirements for the 1934, 1935, and 1936 Grand Prix seasons. The most important new requirement for the racers was that the maximum weight could not exceed 750 kg, excluding driver, fuel, oil, water, and tires.

The AIACR believed that Grand Prix cars were becoming too fast and reasoned that the change in weight parameters would limit the size of the engines used.

However, the AIACR had not at all taken into consideration the possibility of the manufacturers using new technology and lightweight metallurgy to create yet more powerful, efficient racers.

Mercedes-Benz saw an opportunity to move ahead, promoting their know-how and the sale of their products through Grand Prix racing.


Luigi Fagioli on his way to winning the 1935 Grand Prix de Monaco in the Mercedes-Benz W25.

I did this sketch while waiting for my Halifax flight at gate B05 at the Montréal airport on September 24th. The guy next to me practicing on his guitar; it was great to sketch to this guy's music.

Pen&ink, paint markers and markers on gray archival stock 12"x 9" © Paul Chenard 2012

Mercedes-Benz took a traditional approach with the front-engined rear-drive racer, but also took a serious look at using innovative aerodynamics and lightweight materials to give them an advantage. A steel-blocked 3.36-litre straight-8 supercharged engine powered the new Mercedes W25, and it was wrapped in a beautiful aerodynamic aluminum skin, with all-round independent suspension.

In that first year of the new formula, they won the Coppa Acerbo, the Italian Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix. For 1935, they won 9 major races, giving driver Rudolf Caracciola the European Championship.

Villeneuve – 30 Years Passing …

Though it has been a full 30 years today since Gilles Villeneuve was lost to us on that track in Zolder, his fearlessness, passion and driving art are forever remembered.

Villeneuve at Zolder 1982

© and courtesy of Paul-Henri Cahier

The Cahier Archive

He had the love of his public, and the respect of his fellow drivers. He did not play politics or games, and raced with his heart, sometimes pulling off the seemingly impossible.

Villeneuve at Monaco 1981

© Paul Chenard 2011

Three decades after his death, the love of his public and the respect of his fellow drivers are just as strong …

Cheers to you, Gilles!

Sir Moss takes Monaco 1961

50 years ago on the last weekend in May, everything pointed to a possible Ferrari sweep of the Grand Prix de Monaco.

Ferrari had introduced their new Formula 1 contender the 156 “Sharknose”, which carried a distinct horsepower advantage over the competition.

Ferrari was running two engine configurations; a V-6 with a 65 degree V-angle (180 hp) and one with a 120 degree V-angle (190 hp). Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips raced 65 degree V-6’s and Richie Ginther the 120 degree V6.

Sir Stirling Moss - Winner, Monaco Grand Prix 1961
Prismacolor pencils on gray archival stock, 10"x 8"  © Paul Chenard 2009
Private collection. Available as a limited edition.

Sir Stirling Moss was driving the Rob Walker Lotus 18 F1 car which ran with a 1.5 litre Climax inline-4 engine producing only 174 hp.

Lotus was also there with Jim Clark driving the Lotus-Climax, with Jo Bonnier and Dan Gurney racing the Porsche 718’s.

From his pole position, Sir Moss took an early lead from Ginther and Clark, and retained it to the end. He drove at 10/10’s for the whole race, keeping just ahead of the very persistent Ginther and Hill in their more powerful cars.

Sir Moss is quoted in saying that this was his best race ever, and in seeing the machines and talent he was up against, one can only agree!

1934 Grand Prix de Monaco

As the first “Grande Épreuve” of the 1934 Grand Prix season, Monaco was, and has always been, a dramatic venue on the Mediterranean Sea.

It is one of few city courses in the world and considered the most prestigious of all the Grand Prix’s. The Monaco Grand Prix’s started in 1929 and it is still run today.

Guy Moll in an Alfa Romeo P3 rounding the Station Hairpin ahead of René Dreyfus in a Bugatti Type 59
Pen&ink, markers, and pencil on archival white stock 12”x 9” 
© Paul Chenard 2010

Original art & limited editions available.

For this April 2^nd race, a few of the cars running needed modification to meet the new 750kg rules. Both the Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams decided they would not participate in any racing until the May 27^th Avusrennen.

From the flag, the race lead changed hands quite often between the Bugatti T59 of René Dreyfus and the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo P3’s of Louis Chiron and “Guy” Moll.

Pen&ink © Paul Chenard 2010

Later in the race, while Chiron was in front, he had a slight off at the Station Hairpin, relinquishing his lead to Moll, who kept his position till race end.

It was a great start for this talented and popular 24-year-old Algerian rookie Scuderia Ferrari driver.

All the Season's Best!

It’s a joyful time, but as we gather together with family and friends to celebrate, it’s also a time to fondly reflect on those who are no longer with us, and raise a glass to their memory.

Cheers!

I want to wish all my wonderful family and friends all the very best!

Happy Holidays!

Villeneuve takes the win …

The 1981 Grand Prix de Monaco wasn’t supposed to be Gilles Villeneuve’s race.

Nelson Piquet in his Brabham BT49C easily overwhelmed the field, closely followed by Alan Jones in the Williams FW07C.

Unfortunately, Piquet was held up by a back-marker and crashed into the Armco. Jones’ car started suffering from fuel-feed problems and was falling back.

Latex paint on oak plywood 15.5"x 17.5" (39.3cm x 44.5cm) © Paul Chenard 2010

Original available for sale - Limited editions also available

Villeneuve, pushing his Ferrari 126CK and driving a clean race, passed Jones on lap 73 and took the race with a 40 second lead.

He followed up with a win in the next race, the Spanish Grand Prix. Sadly, this would be the last win of his all-too-short Formula 1 career.