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| a twin-cylinder 10/12 hp Darracq built in Paris in 1904. |
To see an 8 minute film clip, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgiv_I2TkNc
This
is the car that played the lead in the 1953 film ‘Genevieve’ set against
the background of the London to Brighton run. In the film this 1904 Darracq
is the hobby of Alan McKim, a barrister played by the actor John Gregson;
an interesting detail is that Gregson does steer the car in the film, but
couldn’t actually drive.
the background of the London to Brighton run. In the film this 1904 Darracq
is the hobby of Alan McKim, a barrister played by the actor John Gregson;
an interesting detail is that Gregson does steer the car in the film, but
couldn’t actually drive.
The
owner of the Darracq at the time was the Englishman Norman Reeves.
He had restored the car and named it ‘Annie’, but when the Darracq was
selected to appear in the film, its director Henry Cornelius didn’t like the
name and re-christened it ‘Genevieve’, after the patron saint of Paris,
the city where the car was built. The film was a resounding success and
in 1953 the car took part in the ‘real’ London to Brighton Run, attracting
much interest along the way. The Dutch rally driver Maurice Gatsonides,
who had won the Monte Carlo Rally earlier in the year, was behind the
wheel.
He had restored the car and named it ‘Annie’, but when the Darracq was
selected to appear in the film, its director Henry Cornelius didn’t like the
name and re-christened it ‘Genevieve’, after the patron saint of Paris,
the city where the car was built. The film was a resounding success and
in 1953 the car took part in the ‘real’ London to Brighton Run, attracting
much interest along the way. The Dutch rally driver Maurice Gatsonides,
who had won the Monte Carlo Rally earlier in the year, was behind the
wheel.
The
Darracq itself was discovered among piles of junk on an estate in East
London shortly after World War Two. There were fifteen car chassis, two
of which were Darracqs. The Darracqs were purchased for £25 by Peter
Venning, who built one car out of the two. He later found a two-seater
body in a barn, but because he had just got married and had neither time
nor money, he sold the car to Norman Reeves, who finished building the
Darracq in its current configuration. Eventually Reeves got tired of all
the publicity surrounding the Darracq and sold it to an Australian friend
who exhibited the car in a museum for about 40 years. The car was
acquired by the Louwman Museum in the 1990s and has since been a r
egular and popular participant in the London to Brighton Run.
London shortly after World War Two. There were fifteen car chassis, two
of which were Darracqs. The Darracqs were purchased for £25 by Peter
Venning, who built one car out of the two. He later found a two-seater
body in a barn, but because he had just got married and had neither time
nor money, he sold the car to Norman Reeves, who finished building the
Darracq in its current configuration. Eventually Reeves got tired of all
the publicity surrounding the Darracq and sold it to an Australian friend
who exhibited the car in a museum for about 40 years. The car was
acquired by the Louwman Museum in the 1990s and has since been a r
egular and popular participant in the London to Brighton Run.
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