Jean Chassagne

Born on 26 July 1881 at La Croisille-sur-Briance, near Limoges, France, Chassagne was raised in modest circumstances. His father, a horse trainer, was killed in a riding accident when Jean was young. He attended L'Ecole Professionnelle de St Leonard de Noblat and later L'Ecole des Arts et Métiers, which proved formative for his later career.

In November 1900, Chassagne joined the French Navy, training as a mechanic. In 1901, he worked at the Flotte Workshops, becoming a Torpedo Boat Mechanic by 1903 – ranking first in his class. He volunteered for service on the cruiser Montcalm for two years, sailing to America, Africa, China, and Japan. In 1905, he volunteered as a submariner, serving ten months on three different vessels: Espadon, Gymnote, and Gustave Zédé.

Chassagne began his racing career as a riding mechanic in 1906, joining Rene Hanriot in the first French Grand Prix de l'ACF at Le Mans with a Darracq, but they retired due to engine trouble. He continued as a mechanic with Darracq until 1908, working alongside Hanriot, Hautvost, and Demogeot. In 1908, he travelled to the US for the American Grand Prize at Savannah, again as a riding mechanic to Hautvost on a Clément-Bayard. During this period, he also worked at Clément-Bayard, developing and testing experimental Demoiselles Santons-Dumont monoplanes and the first Hanriot monoplanes. In August 1910, he earned his pilot’s license, certificate no. 160. He participated in events like the Baie de Seine estuary crossing, winning Liege altitude & speed prizes, and crashed in Deauville, escaping with minor injuries. He was appointed Chief Pilot to Hanriot Flying School, training early aviators, and in 1911 became Director of the Algeciras Flying School in Spain, responsible for training Spanish officers. In 1912, he met Louis Coatalen and joined the Sunbeam racing team. He also competed with Hispano Suiza, achieving second place in the Coupe des Voiturettes at Bolougne and fourth in the Catalan Cup Race, and participating in the Mont Ventoux Hillclimb.

In 1912, Louis Coatalen engaged Chassagne as part of his racing team. At the Coupe de l'Auto and French Grand Prix at Dieppe, Chassagne, as a riding mechanic to Victor Rigal, won the Coupe de l'Auto and finished third overall. In 1913, promoted to a Sunbeam Works Team driver, he finished third overall in the French Grand Prix at Amiens. He and A.P. Mitchell set up World Records at Brooklands with a Sunbeam, and Chassagne made the fastest lap to date. In 1914, he continued setting records at Brooklands, and participated in the Monaco Motorboat races. He crashed at the 1914 Indianapolis 500 due to a burst tyre, and retired from the French Grand Prix due to a big-end failure. When the Great War loomed, Chassagne volunteered for the Artillery Corp but, under the request of the British Admiralty, joined Sunbeam to advise, develop, and test aero engines.

After the war, Chassagne raced a Ballot in 1919, suffering an accident at Indianapolis but escaping largely unharmed. He continued with Ballot in 1920, achieving the fastest BARC lap at Brooklands and third fastest time at the Gaillon Hillclimb. In 1921, he was second in the Italian Grand Prix with Ballot and third fastest at the Gaillon Hillclimb. He married Emma in November 1921, and she accompanied him to some racing events.

1922 was a successful year for Chassagne, highlighted by his win in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy with a Sunbeam, which he famously described as a challenging race. He also achieved success with the Talbot-Darracq voiturette. In 1925, driving a Sunbeam at Le Mans, he finished second overall. He also achieved success with Talbot-Darracq, winning the Gometz le Chatel Hillclimb and achieving the second fastest time at Gaillon. In 1926 he raced for Aries Surbaissée, and continued to achieve excellent results in endurance racing in Belgium, France and Spain in 1927.

In 1928, at age 47, Chassagne joined the ‘Bentley Boys’, finishing fifth overall at Le Mans and famously running to change a wheel after Tim Birkin’s rim collapsed. In 1929, he finished fourth at Le Mans with Francis Clement. In 1930, he shared a Blower Bentley with Birkin at Le Mans, setting the fastest lap before retiring. This was to be his last recorded race.

Chassagne retired from racing at the end of 1930 and took a position as a representative of Castrol Oils for the Aircraft Industry, also running the Bentley Motors Sales & Servicing Department at Neuilly. He was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 1935 in recognition of his achievements in motorsport. After the Nazi occupation of France in 1939, he moved back to his birthplace. He died on 13 April 1947, at the age of 65.

Chassagne was a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, awarded in 1935 for his contributions to motorsport. Chassagne Square in Crewe was named in his honour, and Rue de Chassagne in Limoges, France, and the Chassagne stadium in La Croisille sur Briance, also commemorate his name.