# 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans 1939) was the 16th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, on 17 and 18 June 1939. The 1939 programme cover depicted the raising of six nations' flags: France, Italy, Great Britain (its civil Red Ensign), Belgium, Germany, and the United States.
By June 1939, the outbreak of World War II was less than three months away. The following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans was originally planned for June 1940, but due to the invasion of France in May the race was called off. Endurance racing would not return to Le Mans until 1949, four years after V-E day ended World War II in Europe.

## Official results

Class winners are denoted with bold.
| Pos | Class | No. | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Tyre | Laps | Distance/Retired |
| 1 | 8.0 | 1 | Jean-Pierre Wimille | Jean-Pierre Wimille Pierre Veyron | Bugatti Type 57C Tank | Bugatti 3.3L Supercharged I8 | D | 249 | 3,346.106 km (2,079.174 mi) |
| 2 | 3.0 | 21 | Ecurie Walter Watney | Louis Gérard Georges Monneret | Delage D6-3L | Delage 3.0L I6 | | 245 | +4 laps |
| 3 | 5.0 | 5 | Lagonda Ltd. | Arthur Dobson Charles Brackenbury | Lagonda V12 | Lagonda 4.5L V12 | | 239 | +10 laps |
| 4 | 5.0 | 6 | Lord Selsdon | Lord Selsdon Lord William Waleran | Lagonda V12 | Lagonda 4.5L V12 | | 239 | +10 laps |
| 5 | 2.0 | 26 | BMW | Max zu Schaumburg-Lippe Fritz Hans Wenscher | BMW 328 Touring Coupe | BMW 2.0L I6 | | 236 | +13 laps |
| 6 | 5.0 | 12 | Louis Villeneuve | Louis Villeneuve René Biolay | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 235 | +14 laps |
| 7 | 2.0 | 27 | BMW | Ralph Röese Paul Heinemann | BMW 328 | BMW 2.0L I6 | | 230 | +19 laps |
| 8 | 5.0 | 20 | Count Heyden | R.R.C. Rob Walker Ian Connell | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 224 | +25 laps |
| 9 | 2.0 | 28 | BMW | Willi Breim Rudolf Scholtz | BMW 328 | BMW 2.0L I6 | | 220 | +29 laps |
| 10 | 1.1 | 39 | Gordini | Amédée Gordini José Scaron | Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | | 213 | +36 laps |
| 11 | 5.0 | 14 | Joseph Chotard | Joseph Chotard Jacques Seylair | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 202 | +47 laps |
| 12 | 2.0 | 29 | Robert Peverell Hichens | Robert P. Hichens Mortimer Morris-Goodall | Aston Martin Speed Model | Aston Martin 2.0L I4 | | 199 | +50 laps |
| 13 | 1.1 | 41 | Gordini | Guy Lapchin Charles Plantivaux | Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | | 195 | +54 laps |
| 14 | 1.5 | 32 | Ecurie Lapin Blanc | Peter Clark Marcus Chambers | HRG 1500 | Singer 1.5L I4 | | 192 | +57 laps |
| 15 | 1.1 | 37 | Mrs. Majorie Fawcett | Geoffrey White C.M. Anthony | Morgan 4/4 | Coventry Climax 1.1L I4 | | 184 | +65 laps |
| 16 | 1.5 | 34 | Just-Emile Vernet | Just-Emile Vernet Carl de Bodard | Riley Sprite TT Pourtout | Riley 1.5L I4 | | 180 | +69 laps |
| 70% of winner's race distance: 175 laps ||||||||||
| 17 | 1.1 | 38 | Victor Camerano | Victor Camerano Henri Louveau | Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | | 163 | |
| 18 | 1.1 | 45 | Arthur W. Jones | Arthur W. Jones Gordon Wilkins | Singer Le Mans Replica | Singer 1.0L I4 | | 154 | |
| 19 | 750 | 48 | Gordini | Adrien Alin Albert Alin | Simca Cinq | Fiat 0.6L I4 | | 148 | |
| 20 | 750 | 49 | Gordini | Maurice Aimé Albert Leduc | Simca Cinq | Fiat 0.6L I4 | | 147 | |
| DNF | 3.0 | 25 | Raymond Sommer | Raymond Sommer Prince Bira | Alfa Romeo 6C 2500SS | Alfa Romeo 2.4L I6 | | 173 | Engine |
| DNF | 5.0 | 18 | Ecuria Francia | Marcel Contet Robert Brunet | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 171 | Suspension |
| DNF | 1.5 | 31 | Victor Polledry | Victor Polledry R. Robert | Aston Martin 1½ Ulster | Aston Martin 1.5L I4 | | 155 | |
| DNF | 5.0 | 3 | Luigi Chinetti | Luigi Chinetti Donald Mathieson | Talbot T26 | Talbot 4.5L I6 | | 154 | Contact |
| DNF | 3.0 | 22 | Ecurie Walter Watney | Armand Hug Roger Loyer | Delage D6-3L | Delage 3.0L I6 | | 152 | Contact |
| DNF | 5.0 | 15 | Robert Mazaud | Robert Mazaud Marcel Mongin | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 115 | Fire |
| DNF | 1.1 | 44 | Archie Scott | Archie Scott Tommy Wisdom | Singer Nine Le Mans Replica | Singer 1.0L I4 | | 105 | Dirty fuel |
| DNF | 5.0 | 9 | Luigi Chinetti | René Le Begue Pierre Levegh | Talbot-Lago SS | Talbot 4.0L I6 | | 102 | Ignition |
| DNF | 5.0 | 19 | Ecurie Francia | Eugène Chaboud Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 99 | |
| DNF | 5.0 | 8 | T.A.S.O. Mathieson | Philippe de Massa Norbert Jean Mahé | Talbot 150SS Figoni | Talbot 4.0L I6 | | 88 | |
| DNF | 5.0 | 7 | Luigi Chinetti | André Morel Jim Bradley | Talbot T26 | Talbot 4.5L I6 | | 88 | |
| DNF | 5.0 | 10 | Jean Trémoulet | Jean Trémoulet Raoul Forestier | Talbot-Lago SS | Talbot 4.0L i6 | | 68 | |
| DNF | 1.1 | 36 | Miles Collier | Miles Collier Lewis Welch | MG PA Midget | MG 0.8L I4 | | 63 | |
| DNF | 5.0 | 16 | Ecurie Francia | Joseph Paul Jean Trévoux | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 62 | |
| DNF | 5.0 | 11 | André Bellecroix | André Bellecroix Gaston Serraud | Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | | 50 | Contact |
| DNF | 1.1 | 43 | Just-Emile Vernet | Robert Cayeux Gaston Tramar | Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | | 50 | |
| DNF | 5.0 | 4 | Luigi Chinetti | Pierre Louis-Dreyfus Antoine Schumann | Talbot T26 | Talbot 4.5L I6 | | 45 | |
| DNF | 1.1 | 47 | Claude Bonneau | Claude Bonneau Max Mathieu | MG PB Midget | MG 1.0L I4 | | 40 | Carbuerator |
| DNF | 1.1 | 40 | Gordini | Jean Breillet Albert Debille | Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | | 29 | Contact |
| DNF | 1.1 | 42 | Mme Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier | Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier Suzanne Largeot | Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | | 26 | Contact |
| DNF | 1.5 | 30 | Adler | Otto Löhr Paul von Guilleaume | Adler Trumpf | Adler 1.5L I4 | | 6 | Piston |
| DNF | 1.1 | 46 | Jacques Savoye | Jacques Savoye Pierre Savoye | Singer Nine Le Mans Replica "Savoye Special" | Singer 1.0L I4 | | 4 | |
| DNS | 1.5 | | Adler | Fritz Huschke von Hanstein Karkmann | Adler Trumpf | Adler 1.5L I4 | | - | - |
| Sources: ||||||||||

## Statistics

* Fastest Lap: #15 Robert Mazaud – 5:12.1 (average speed 155.6 km/h (96.7 mph)
* Distance: 3,346.106 km (2,079.174 mi)
* Average Speed: 139.781 km/h (86.856 mph)

## Trophy winners

* 14th Rudge-Whitworth Biennial Cup – #39 Gordini
* Index of Performance – #39 Gordini