Jean Achard (racing driver)

Jean-Jacques Grosman, known as Jean Achard (March 15, 1918 – July 14, 1951), was a French race-car driver and journalist and a member of the French Resistance during World War II.

Jean Achard
Born
Jean-Jacques Grosman

(1918-03-15)March 15, 1918
Paris, France
DiedJuly 14, 1951(1951-07-14) (aged 33)
Brazil
Cause of deathKilled in a hill climb event.
OccupationJournalist and an active member of the French Resistance during World War II

Biography

Achard was born in Paris on July 14, 1918. When the Nazis invaded France, Achard, like many Frenchmen, took up arms for the French Resistance, eventually becoming editor-in-chief of one of the many resistance newspapers, "Debout" (French for "On Our Feet"),[1] which was founded by Claude Julien, another member of the French Resistance. Achard eventually became the Chairman of the Fédération nationale française des anciens combattants("French National Federation of Former Combatants"). He made his racing debut in a supercharged Maserati 1500.

Achard was successful in the 1946 and 1947 racing seasons, but in June 1947 he crashed on the first lap, while the V12 Delahaye 155 that he had used in 1946 was lent to Levegh for the race. Achard drove the Delahaye again on July 13, 1947. That same day, he had crashed at the Grand Prix de l’Albigeois at Albi, when one of the wheels from his Delahaye flew into the grandstands, killing a female spectator. He did not race again until 1951. In 1950, Achard decided to make a comeback. He brought Philippe Étancelin's Talbot-Lago T26C and he emigrated to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

That year he raced at Interlagos on May 13, finishing 5th and at Boavista on June 24, finishing 3rd. Achard was even accepted into the 1951 running of the Indy 500, but he never made it to the race: he was killed in a hill climb event in Brazil.[2]

References
  1. "Jean Achard". Historic racing. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  2. CHRIS DEMORRO (July 14, 2016). "Today in Hot Rod History: The Death Of Jean Achard, July 14". Rod Authority. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
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