Million Franc Race

The Million Franc Race, or Prix du Million, was an effort in 1937 by the French Popular Front to induce French automobile manufacturers to develop race cars capable of competing with the advanced German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Silver Arrows racers of the time, which since 1933 were backed by the German government in a (largely successful) attempt to dominate the Grand Prix sport. Italy entered Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

Bugatti could not keep up in the 1930s, neither did other French brands. A first French public funding initiative after the 1934 French Grand Prix supported the S.E.F.A.C. car which failed at the 1935 French Grand Prix and later.

The prize money was a million francs, and to ensure that the competition tested each car's ultimate limits, rather than just the driver's skill in passing other drivers, the race was a time trial against the clock at the treacherous Autodrome de Montlhéry track, which had taken the life of the great Antonio Ascari.

Each car had to drive sixteen laps (200 kilometres (120 mi)) at an average speed of at least 146 km/h (91 mph) from a standing start. René Dreyfus was hired by Lucy O'Reilly Schell's Écurie Bleue team to drive a Delahaye 145 in testing and in the competition itself in which he risked death by setting a literally-blistering pace, wearing the special Dunlop tires down to the fabric but handily overwhelming all competitors except the Bugatti team. On the last day of the competition, the Bugatti entry, driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille, arrived. After spending most of the day repairing various mechanical problems, the Bugatti took to the track for its run towards sundown, accompanied by Dreyfus in the Delahaye in an attempt to protect his incipient victory. The two drivers pushed each other to incredible speed until the Bugatti once again broke under the strain, ensuring Delahaye the prize.