Motorsport Memorial -

René Dreyfus

Complete name: René Albert Dreyfus

Birth date: 06.May.1905

Birth Place: Nice, Alpes-Maritimes (06), France

Death date: 16.Aug.1993

Death Place: New York City, NY, United States

Nationality: United States

Gender: male

Notes:

René Dreyfus
1905 - 1993

Author: Agence Rol. Agence Photographique (France). Bibliothèque Nationale de France collection, public domain.

A French motorsport legend, René Dreyfus was awarded Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by French President Charles de Gaulle in the early 1960s. He raced for 14 seasons, between the mid-1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the years of the Golden Era of Grand Prix racing. In 1945 he became an American citizen.

Born in 1905 in Nice, southern France, René Dreyfus was the second of three children of a Jewish family. His brother Maurice acted as his manager during his racing career, since he made his debut in 1924. René Dreyfus scored more than 50 wins over almost 150 starts, including the 1930 Grand Prix de Monaco, the 1934 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, and races at Reims, Florence, Dieppe, Cork, Pau and Tripoli, to name just a few. Dreyfus often raced as works driver for different makes, such as Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti and Delahaye, against the greatest drivers of his time. Dreyfus participated four times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, taking a best finish of third in 1937, when he shared a Delahaye 135 CS with fellow countryman Henri Stoffel. His final start on the Circuit de la Sarthe occurred in 1952, then aged 47, when he was invited by his namesake with which he was not related, Pierre-Louis Dreyfus, also known with the pseudonym of "Heldé", to share a Ferrari 340 America Barchetta, entered by his close friend Chinetti - retired after five hours of race, due to clutch trouble.

In 1938 René Dreyfus was declared the French Race Champion and in 1939 he drove for Lucy O'Reilly Schell's Ecurie Bleu. At the outbreak of the World War II it was M.me Schell who managed to obtain permission from the French Government to release René Dreyfus and René Le Bègue from military service so that they could drive her cars in the 1940 Indianapolis 500. The team took the cars and spare parts to Genua port, taking the Italian "Conte di Savoia" ship on 07 May 1940, with drivers Dreyfuss, Le Bègue, Jean Trévoux and M.me Schell's 19-year-old son Harry Schell. With them was also Luigi Chinetti who operated as chief mechanic. This was the last ship departing to America before Italy entered the war.

Only one of the blue Maserati 8CTFs, chassis #3030 and #3031, managed to qualify for the race. Dreyfus and Le Bègue agreed to split the driving chores for the race. Le Bègue was classified at the finish in tenth place, because the Indianapolis rules assigned finishing positions based on who started the car in the race. Dreyfus crossed the finish line in the #49 blue Maserati, after driving in relief on laps 46-97 and 151-192. Wilbur Shaw won in the only other Maserati to finish the race. A third Maserati, driven by Raúl Riganti of Argentina crashed on the 24th lap.

After the race Le Bègue was the only one of them to return to the occupied France in 1941, after the Germans had overrun Paris. René Dreyfus and Chinetti stayed in America and Trévoux in Mexico, where they remained for the rest of their lives. As an American citizen, Dreyfuss joined the United States Army, and later brought his family to the United States. In 1952 he bought from an Italian named Boni "Le Chanteclair" restaurant on 49th Street off Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. He managed the restaurant with his brother Maurice and it became an obligatory meeting spot for the world's motor sport personalities any time they passed through New York.

Dreyfus didn't return to racing once the war was over but raced only occasionally in the 1950s. His last start came in 1955, when he was hired to drive with Robert Grier in the 12 Hours of Sebring, one of the Arnolt Bolide Bristol sportscars built by S. H. "Wacky" Arnolt and designed by Bertone, finishing fourth in the 2-litre class, 29th place overall.

René Dreyfus was an elected member of the Road Racing Drivers Club. In 1980 he was invited to the Grand Prix de Monaco, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his victory.

René Dreyfus was closely linked with the sport until his death. He passed away at the age of 88, on Monday, 16 August 1993, of an aneurysm of the aorta at New York Hospital in Manhattan. He was survived by his brother, Maurice, and his sister, Suzanne.

Career Summary:
Rene Dreyfus was the winner of the following major races: 07 July 1929: Grand Prix of Dieppe (France); Bugatti 35, 2.0.

02 March 1930: Circuit d'Esterel-Plage (France); Bugatti 35B.

06 April 1930: Grand Prix of Monaco; Bugatti 35B.

29 June 1930: Grand Prix of Marne (France); Bugatti 35B.

27 September 1931: Grand Prix of Brignoles (France); Bugatti 51.

29 July 1934: Grand Prix of Belgium; Bugatti 59.

07 July 1935: Grand Prix of Marne (France); Alfa Romeo Tipo-B P3.

21 July 1935: Grand Prix of Dieppe (France); Alfa Romeo Tipo-B P3.

10 April 1938: Grand Prix of Pau (France); Delahaye 145.

23 April 1938: Grand Prix of Cork (Ireland); Delahaye 145.

Sources:

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.
Social Security Death Index.
Book "My Two Lives" by René Dreyfus and Beverly Rae Kimes, Aztex Corp., Tucson, AZ, United States, 1983, ISBN 0-89404-080-4.
Book "1895-1995 Un Siècle de Grands Pilotes Français" by Maurice Louche, Editeur Maurice Louche, 1995, ISBN-13 978-2950073839.
Book "The History of America's Speedways - Past & Present", by Allan E. Brown, third edition, first printing, November 2003, ISBN 0-931105-61-7; America's Speedways, C/o National Speedway Directory, 909 Seneca Road, Wilmette, IL, United States, 60091; 847-853-0294, page 283.
Book "Walt Hansgen - His Life and the History of Post-War American Road Racing", by Michael Argetsinger, © 2006 by Michael Argetsinger and David Bull Publishing, 4250 East Camelback Road, Suite K150, Phoenix, AZ 85018, ISBN: 1 893618 54 4, page 119.
Book "Indianapolis 500 Chronicle" by Rick Popely with L. Spencer Riggs, Publications International Ltd. 1999.
Magazine Time, issue of Monday, 14 March 1955, page ?, article "The Oldtimer"
Magazine Autosprint, issue 24 August 1993, page 56.
Magazine Autosprint, issue 29 April 1997, page 98.
Newspaper The New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Wednesday, 26 May 1965, page 59, article "'40 Racers Celebrate at Fair", by Frank M. Blunk, with photogaph, captioned "Luigi Chinetti, left, and Rene Dreyfus examine Ford GT".
Newspaper The New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Thursday, 19 August 1993, page ?, Obituary, "Rene Dreyfus, Auto Racer, 88".
Newspaper The New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Sunday, 03 September 2006, page ?, article "From Italy to Indy to a Place in Sports Car History", by Donald Osborne.
Website Old Racing Cars by Allen Brown, "Where Are They Now" > The Indy 500 drivers, page https://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Rene_Dreyfus .
Website The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing 1934-1940 by Leif Snellman, page https://www.goldenera.fi/dd.htm .
Website Champ Car Stats.com, page http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/DreyfusRene.htm .
Website 24H-en-Piste, page http://www.24h-en-piste.com/fr/AfficherRecherche.php .
Website GP History by Dennis David, article Die Silberpfeile - Rene Dreyfus, page http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/dreyfus.htm .
Website World Sports Racing Prototypes, by Martin Krejčí, page http://www.wsrp.cz/wsc1955.html#2 .
Website 8W by Mattijs Diepraam and Felix Muelas, article "Rene Dreyfus and the upset at Pau" by Leif Snellman, page http://forix.com/8w/delahaye.html .
Website Find-A-Grave: Rene Dreyfus.