Louis Rosier

Louis Claude Rosier (Template:IPA; 5 November 1905 – 29 October 1956) was a French racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from Template:F1 to Template:F1. In endurance racing, Rosier won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Template:24hLM in a privateer Talbot-Lago T26C-GS.

Rosier competed in Formula One under his own Écurie Rosier banner, making privateer entries in machinery from Talbot-Lago, Ferrari, and Maserati; he also competed for the works teams of Talbot and Maserati, the former of which he scored back-to-back podium finishes with at the Swiss and Belgian Grands Prix in Template:F1.

Rosier competed in nine editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans between Template:24hLM and Template:24hLM, winning in Template:24hLM alongside his son Jean-Louis Rosier, which remains the only father-and-son victory in Le Mans history. In October 1956, Rosier died as a result of injuries sustained whilst sportscar racing in a Ferrari 750 Monza at Montlhéry.

Career highlights

Louis Claude Rosier was born on 5 November 1905 in Chapdes-Beaufort, Puy-de-Dôme, France.<ref name=mem>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He participated in 38 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 May 1950. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 18 championship points. He won the Dutch Grand Prix twice in consecutive years between 1950 and 1951, the Circuit d'Albi, Grand-Prix de l'Albigeois and the 24 Hours of Le Mans with his son Jean-Louis Rosier. Rosier owned the Renault dealership of Clermont-Ferrand.<ref name=joe>Rosier First In Auto Race, New York Times, June 26, 1950, Page 36.</ref>

In 2016, in an academic paper that reported a mathematical modeling study that assessed the relative influence of driver and machine, Rosier was ranked the 19th best Formula One driver of all time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

Formula One and sports car competition

Rosier finished 4th at Silverstone in a Talbot, in October 1948. The event was the RAC International Grand Prix, the first grand prix to be held in England since 1927.<ref>"Grand Prix To Villoresi", New York Times, October 3, 1948, Page S10.</ref> He drove a 4.5-liter, unsupercharged Talbot-Lago to 3rd place at the 1949 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. He was a lap behind the winner with a speed of Template:Convert.<ref>De Graffenried Annexes Grand Prix Auto Classic, New York Times, May 15, 1949, Page S6.</ref> Rosier won an International Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in June 1949. He piloted a Talbot in the Template:Convert, 32-lap event, achieving a time of 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 17 seconds. He assumed the lead after 23 laps, coming across the finish line ahead of Luigi Villoresi.<ref>"Rosier Captures Auto Race", New York Times, June 20, 1949, Page 24.</ref> Rosier won the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans in a blue Talbot. He teamed up with his son Jean-Louis Rosier who only drove two laps during the race, which means Louis won the race practically by himself. He finished one lap ahead of Pierre Meyrat who drove a car of the same marque. The Rosiers covered 256 laps, Template:Convert, in 23:54:2.2.<ref name=joe/> Rosier captured the Grand Prix d'Albi in Albi, France in May 1953. He drove a Ferrari, covering the 18 laps of the finals, Template:Convert, in 56:36:8. He averaged Template:Convert.<ref>Frenchman Wins Automobile Race, Los Angeles Times, June 1, 1953, Page C4.</ref> Rosier placed second in a Ferrari at a Grand Prix in Aix-Les-Bains, in July 1953. His time was 2:24:48.1.<ref>Bayol Takes Auto Race, New York Times, July 27, 1953, Page 22.</ref> In April 1956 Rosier finished 4th in a Maserati, in a 201-mile race at Aintree. Stirling Moss drove a blue Maserati to victory in the 67-lap event for Formula One cars, with an average speed of Template:Convert.<ref>Moss' Maserati Takes 201-mile Aintree Race, April 22, 1956, Page 205.</ref> Rosier finished 5th at the 1956 German Grand Prix behind the wheel of a Maserati.<ref>"Fangio Captures Race In Germany", New York Times, August 6, 1956, Page 37.</ref>

Écurie Rosier

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Louis Rosier was the owner and manager of a racing team, the "Ecurie Rosier". Originally set up to run Rosier's Talbot-Lago T26 (for either Rosier or a guest driver), and later evolved to an actual team running 250Fs and finally Ferrari 500s simultaneously for Rosier and another driver. Throughout the 1950s, Écurie Rosier provided drives in Formula One for Henri Louveau, Georges Grignard, Louis Chiron, Maurice Trintignant, André Simon and Robert Manzon.

Circuit Louis Rosier

Louis Rosier was one of the key sponsors of the Charade race track. After World War II, Jean Auchatraire (president of the racing section of the local Automobile Club) and Louis Rosier promoted the idea of a race track around Clermont-Ferrand.<ref name="Charade">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A set of preliminary designs were drawn up for a circuit of a length between 4 and 6 km, meeting the latest safety regulations with large parking capacity at a location just outside the city limits on a hilly landscape.

The Le Mans disaster (death toll: 84 lives) on 11 June 1955 brought the project to a halt. All race events were postponed. No further events were allowed to take place on temporary urban tracks. Racing events were only to be allowed on dedicated race-tracks, providing that they met a new set of rules. In Clermont-Ferrand, as was the case for many other new race tracks, new safety devices were being imagined and discussed, reviewed and assessed. But the concept of a "mountain race track" moved forward. It would be the only one of its kind in France.

Auchatraire, Rosier and Raymond Roche (the manager of Reims-Gueux race track) worked together to get the project accepted by the political community before searching for funding. But Rosier was killed at Montlhéry on 26 October 1956 and would not witness his project come to fruition. The racetrack was opened on 27 July 1958, with the name of its famous founder "Circuit de Charade Louis Rosier". Soon after, several champions participated in racing events on the track, each of them, including Stirling Moss, making very positive statements about the track and its surrounding.

Car manufacturer

Rosier's Renault dealership in Clermont-Ferrand was one of the largest Renault dealerships in France. Rosier's dealership also sold other industrial and farming equipment. The building housing this important business has been destroyed.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} (fr) Rosier dealership</ref>

In 1951, Louis Rosier designed a prototype based on the 4CV Renault.<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive Logo louis rosier</ref><ref>[2] Coach Rosier</ref>

In 1953, using the concept of a barchetta that he raced at Le Mans,<ref>[3] Barchetta Rosier</ref> Rosier, together with Italian coachbuilder Rocco Motto, designed a cabriolet,<ref>[4] The Rogue</ref> still using 4CV Renault sub assemblies. This model was built in a quantity of about 200 units by Brissonneau.<ref>[5] Cabriolet Brissoneau</ref> It was even introduced at a car show in New York.

Some time later he designed a roadster using Renault Frégate elements with an aluminum body developed by Rocco Motto, on a multi-tubular frame. The engine was seriously revised, the body was lightened, the results was an interesting 950 kg for 80 hp.<ref>[6] Frégate Rosier</ref>

Death

On 7 October 1956 Louis Rosier was competing in the Coupe du Salon sports car race at Montlhéry in a Ferrari 750 Monza.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the race he crashed, sustaining head injuries. Three weeks later, on 29 October 1956, Rosier succumbed to the injuries received in the crash.<ref>French Driver Dies, Los Angeles Times, October 30, 1956, Page C4.</ref>

Racing record

Post WWII Grandes Épreuves results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5
1947	L. Rosier	Talbot Spéciale	Talbot 4.0 L6	SUI Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	ITA	FRA Template:Small
1948	L. Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	MON Template:Small	SUI Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	ITA Template:Small
1949	Ecurie Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	GBR Template:Small		SUI Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	ITA Template:Small
	Automobiles Talbot-Darracq				BEL Template:Small
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Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Template:Abbr	Points
1950	Ecurie Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	GBR Template:Small	MON Template:Small	500				ITA Template:Small			4th	13
	Automobiles Talbot-Darracq	Talbot-Lago T26C-DA					SUI Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	FRA Template:Small
	Charles Pozzi	Talbot-Lago T26C							FRA Template:Small
1951	Ecurie Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26C-DA	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	SUI Template:Small	500	BEL Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	ESP Template:Small		13th	3
1952	Ecurie Rosier	Ferrari 500	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4	SUI Template:Small	500	BEL Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER	NED	ITA Template:Small		NC	0
1953	Ecurie Rosier	Ferrari 500	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4	ARG	500	NED Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	SUI Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	NC	0
1954	Ecurie Rosier	Ferrari 500/625	Ferrari 625 2.5 L4	ARG Template:Small	500	BEL	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	SUI			NC	0
	Officine Alfieri Maserati	Maserati 250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6								ITA Template:Small
	Ecurie Rosier											ESP Template:Small
1955	Ecurie Rosier	Maserati 250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	ARG	MON Template:Small	500	BEL Template:Small	NED Template:Small	GBR	ITA			NC	0
1956	Ecurie Rosier	Maserati 250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	ARG	MON Template:Small	500	BEL Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	ITA		19th	2
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Notes

• ^1{{#if:| }} – Shared drive with Charles Pozzi

Complete Formula One non-championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34
1950	Ecurie Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	PAU Template:Small	RIC	SRM	PAR Template:Small	EMP	BAR Template:Small	JER	ALB Template:Small	NED Template:Small	NAT Template:Small	NOT	ULS	PES Template:Small	STT	INT	GOO	PEN Template:Small
1951	Ecurie Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	SYR Template:Small	PAU Template:Small	RIC	SRM Template:Small	BOR Template:Small	INT Template:Small	PAR Template:Small	ULS Template:Small	SCO	NED Template:Small	ALB Template:Small	PES Template:Small	BAR Template:Small	GOO
1952	Ecurie Rosier	Ferrari 500	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4	SYR	VAL	RIC	LAV	PAU Template:Small	IBS	MAR Template:Small	AST	INT	ELÄ	NAP Template:Small	EIF	PAR 3				MNZ	LAC	ESS	MAR 5	SAB	CAE 3		COM Template:Small	NAT	BAU Template:Small	MOD	CAD Template:Small	SKA	MAD	AVU	JOE	NEW
		Ferrari 375	Ferrari 375 4.5 V12														ALB Template:Small	FRO	ULS Template:Small							DMT Template:Small
1953	Ecurie Rosier	Ferrari 500	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4	SYR	PAU Template:Small	LAV	AST	BOR Template:Small	INT Template:Small	ELÄ	NAP Template:Small	ULS	WIN	FRO	COR	EIF									LAC Template:Small	BRI	CHE	SAB Template:Small	NEW	CAD Template:Small	RED	SKA	LON	MOD	MAD	JOE	CUR
		Ferrari 375	Ferrari 375 4.5 V12														ALB Template:Small	PRI	ESS	MID	ROU Template:Small	CRY	AVU	USF
1954	Ecurie Rosier	Ferrari 625	Ferrari 2.5 L4	SYR	PAU Template:Small	LAV	BOR Template:Small	INT Template:Small	BAR Template:Small	CUR	ROM Template:Small	FRO	COR	BRC	CRY	ROU Template:Small	CAE Template:Small	AUG	COR	OUL	RED	PES Template:Small	JOE	CAD Template:Small	BER Template:Small
		Maserati 250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6																							GOO Template:Small	DTT Template:Small
1955	Ecurie Rosier	Maserati 250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	VAL Template:Small	PAU Template:Small	GLO	BOR Template:Small	INT Template:Small	NAP	ALB Template:Small	CUR	COR	LON	DRT Template:Small	RED Template:Small	DTT Template:Small	OUL	AVO Template:Small	SYR Template:Small
1956	Ecurie Rosier	Maserati 250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	BUE	GLV Template:Small	SYR	AIN Template:Small	INT Template:Small	NAP	100	VNW	CAE Template:Small	BRH
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Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Luigi Chinetti	Template:Flagicon Robert Huguet	Talbot T150SS Coupe	5.0	81	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Ecurie Rosier	Template:Flagicon Jean-Louis Rosier	Talbot-Lago Spéciale	S5.0	21	DNF (Fanbelt)
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Louis Rosier (private entrant)	Template:Flagicon Jean-Louis Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26 GS Biplace	S5.0	256	1st	1st
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Louis Rosier (private entrant)	Template:Flagicon Juan Manuel Fangio	Talbot-Lago T26 GS Biplace	S5.0	92	DNF (Oil tank)
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Ecurie Rosier	Template:Flagicon Maurice Trintignant	Ferrari 340 America Spyder	S5.0	?	DNF (Clutch)
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Automobiles Talbot-Darracq S.A.	Template:Flagicon Élie Bayol	Talbot-Lago T26 GS Spyder	S5.0	37	DNF (Transmission)
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Scuderia Ferrari	Template:Flagicon Robert Manzon	Ferrari 375 Plus	S5.0	177	DNF (Transmission)
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Ecurie Rosier	Template:Flagicon Georges Grignard	Talbot-Lago T26 GS Spyder	S5.0		DNS (Engine)
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Automobiles Talbot	Template:Flagicon Jean Behra	Talbot-Lago Sport	S3.0	220	DNF (Transmission)
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