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Mistero o no? Una possibile auto da Gran Premio in Argentina

A volte emerge una fotografia che solleva più domande di quante risposte offra. Questa immagine affascinante è stata trovata da Charles Walmsley di Buenos Aires in una rivista argentina del 1913 e mostra una vettura da corsa dei primi anni in un contesto fangoso.

A prima vista sembra una tipica auto da Gran Premio del periodo 1908–1912: un lungo cofano con feritoie di ventilazione, grandi ruote a raggi e un telaio aperto privo di una vera carrozzeria. Il pilota siede molto arretrato, il che suggerisce un potente motore anteriore, caratteristico delle prime vetture da GP.

 

Il primo pensiero va subito a un costruttore francese; lo stesso Charles ha suggerito Cottin & Desgouttes, noto tra l’altro per la partecipazione al Gran Premio del 1911. Le proporzioni, la forma del radiatore e l’aspetto generale sembrano combaciare. Tuttavia, è necessaria cautela. Molti marchi francesi di quell’epoca costruivano vetture molto simili tra loro. Senza un emblema visibile, un numero di gara o un elemento distintivo chiaro, un’identificazione definitiva rimane difficile.

 

Anche il luogo solleva interrogativi. La fotografia è stata pubblicata in Argentina, e non è chiaro se l’auto fosse effettivamente presente lì o se sia stata utilizzata semplicemente come illustrazione. Se il veicolo si trovava davvero in Sud America, viene da chiedersi se fosse un’auto da corsa completamente importata oppure un telaio modificato o carrozzato localmente.

 

In breve: un mistero affascinante. Almeno per noi – forse voi potete dirci subito se si tratta davvero di una Cottin & Desgouttes, oppure di tutt’altro. Saremo lieti di saperlo.

 

Pubblicato:
lunedì aprile 13th, 2026
Ariejan Bos
22 Aprile, 13:11
I am somewhat disappointed that Mr Lalanne has not responded yet. Therefore I feel compelled to share my thoughts on our difference of opinion. It is true that a Lorraine-Dietrich turned up as a barnfind in Argentina in the 1990s. It was a 6.3-litre 28/35 hp sports model, which was subsequently fully restored and sold in 2022 at an Artcurial auction as a ‘type course’. A photo of the car as a barnfind is included here. Comparing this image with the mystery racer, it should be clear to me and hopefully to others that these are two completely different cars. Moreover, the Lorraine-Dietrich is not a true racer, but a powerful model just above the mid-range class. For Grand Prix racers, a power output of at least 60 hp was certainly a requirement.
If I’m wrong, I’d be happy to be corrected, but only with convincing evidence.
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Juan Molinari
16 Aprile, 01:47
Interesting discussion. I regret to tell readers that Mr Lalanne’s expertise makes it abundantly clear that he is almost certainly correct. We are fortunate to have him in this debate, and his contributions will no doubt be instrumental in unravelling the mystery raised by another distinguished connoisseur, Mr Walmsley.
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Charles Walmsley
15 Aprile, 23:13
This is perhaps a similar car today in USA
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henri lalanne
15 Aprile, 16:29
I’m not attacking you, .......... but when I write something, it’s because I’m certain
I can take little credit for this, as this photo and the one published in the supplement to the newspaper La Nation
were in Mr Roth’s flat in Buenos Aires, where I was received on several occasions; and you should know that his brother owned a Minerva racing car, of which there are photos in old Argentine magazines . The Roth family owned thousands of hectares of farmland in the Argentine Pampas.
If you know Gerard Paquet, he will confirm this.
He had come to Argentina to view and buy this car, and when the sale fell through despite a ‘huge’ offer,
I sold him another 8-litre Lorraine, which he still owns.
You can clearly recognise the typical bonnet of the Lorraine Dietrichs,
but you need good eyesight!!!!! And, above all, you need to know these cars well!!!
And do I know these cars well????? Right now, I actually have that famous 1908 Lorraine for sale
and a 1909 Cottin-Desgouttes 8.5-litre, also chain-driven.
No hard feelings, Mr Bos

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Je ne vous attaque pas ,..........mais quand j'écris quelque chose ,c'est que je suis sûr
Je n'ai guère de mérites car cette photo et celle parue dans le complément du journal La Nation
étaient dans l'appartement de Mr Roth a Buenos aires ,ou j'ai été reçu plusieurs fois et sachez que le frère possédait une Minerva de course ,dont il y a des photos sur des vieilles revues argentines .La famille Roth possédait des milliers d'hectares de culture dans la pampa argentine
Si vous connaissez Gerard Paquet il vous le confirmera ,
Il était venu en Argentine pour voir et acheter cette voiture et devant le refus malgrès une offre "énorme"
je lui ai vendu une autre Lorraine 8 litres qu'il possède toujours,
On reconnait très bien le capot typique des Lorraines Dietrich
mais il faut avoir une bonne vue !!!!!et surtout bien connaitre ces voitures !!!
Et si je connais bien ces voitures ?????en ce moment j'ai justement a la vente cette fameuse Lorraine de 1908
et une Cottin -Desgouttes 8,5 litres,de 1909 aussi chain drive .
Sans rancune Mr Bos
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Ariejan Bos
15 Aprile, 19:22
Mr Lalanne, I do not doubt your expertise, and I hope you will not cast doubt on mine again in the future. However, in this instance, you will have to convince me with images rather than words. So I still stand by my request to see photographs of this car.
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Graham Rankin
15 Aprile, 12:52
May we see the other photos please ?
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henri lalanne
14 Aprile, 17:28
If you want to play the tough guy, you’d better think twice
It was I who discovered this car in the Roth family’s barn, where it had been sitting since the 1920s, and if you’re interested, I have over 20 photos taken from every angle
So stop playing the expert and, above all, misleading readers.
Besides, this car is very well known in Argentina, and I don’t understand why the great expert from Walmsley made this request?

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quand on veut jouer au plus fort mieux vaut refléchir
C'est moi qui ai découvert cette voiture dans la grange de la famille Roth ou elle etait arrétée depuis les années 20 et si vous interessé je dispose de plus de 20 photos prisent sous tous les angles
Donc arrétez de jouer a l'expert et surtout d'induire les lecteurs dans l'erreur
D'ailleurs cette voiture est très connue en Argentine ,et je ne comprends pas pourquoi le grand expert de Walmsley a fait cette demande?
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Ariejan Bos
15 Aprile, 08:29
I don't understand this fierce attack. I'm always willing to admit a mistake, but I need to see proof. So show it. And besides, I don't know what 'the great expert from Walmsley' has to do with it.
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Ariejan Bos
14 Aprile, 09:29
I agree with the Cottin & Desgouttes suggestion, as all details (as far as visible) fit with this make. Probably it is a racing model produced between about 1908 and 1910. It is definitely not the 1911 Grand Prix de France model, because that had a very conspicuous frame with a downward bent just after the bonnet. C&D was active especially in local racing events and in hill climbs.
Lorraine-Dietrich was different in appearance, like in shape of dumb-irons, hub caps, size and pattern of the louvres and more. I assume that by tracks are meant chains. Both C&D and L&D had chains, so there is no difference.
About the presence of Cottin & Desgouttes in Argentina I have no information, but I could find that a C&D was active in a 1911 Cuban race, so at least one racer arrived at American soil. I’d be interested to see the photo in La Nation including full reference details. And I want to add that caption information on car makes was even in those days not always correct. Therefore I only trust what I see.
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henri lalanne
14 Aprile, 06:11
Steve Diggins, before you write, take a good look at the photo and you’ll see that the car has tracks

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Steve Diggins avant d'ecrire ,regardez bien la photo et vous verrez que la voiture est a chaines
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Steve Diggins
13 Aprile, 09:41
It kooks like a Stoddart dayton to me.
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lalanne
13 Aprile, 09:05
This is the 6.3-litre Lorraine Dietrich from Roth; it has no number, so it hasn’t been in any races or Grand Prix events. It’s in normal condition; there’s a similar photo in the supplement of *La Nation*.

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C'est la Lorraine Dietrich 6,3 litres de Roth,il n'y a pas de numero ,donc pas de courses ni de GP ,usage normal ,il y a une photo similaire dans le supplément de La Nation
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