Here's the first race car driven by Juan Manuel Fangio at the 24 Hours of Le Mans of 1950

Rest in Peace Seeing the increasing number of new cars with the most advanced supporting technologies, does not make us abandon their predecessors. Indeed, when viewed in terms of technology they are no match for today's cars. But at least they have given the best pioneering through of their capable performance when they were still victorious in the past.

1950 Simca Gordini Berlinetta 1500 20S produced by Italian-born engineer named Amadeo Gordini as much as 20 unit based on the Simca 8 car models. (Picture from: QuirkyRides)

And when we saw the figure of the classic racing car named the Simca Gordini Berlinetta 1500 20S on the QuirkyRides's status in Twitter, we were immediately interested to know it better in detail. This great car is known to be produced by Amadeo Gordini, based on the Simca 8 (as we all know, the Simca is a French car manufacturer whose establishment in 1934 was initiated by the Italian automotive giant Fiat).

1950 Simca Gordini Berlinetta 1500 20S with racing livery no. 33 used by Juan Manuel Fangio on his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans of 1950. (Picture from: MuseoFangio)

As quoted from AutosCroisees, Amadeo Gordini was an Italian-blood gentleman born in 1899 near Bologna who is known to have a great mechanical skills. Previously, Gordini started his career in the late 1920s as a Fiat racing driver with the cars prepared by himself. Throughout his racing career, he won the Bol d'Or in 1935 using the Fiat 508 S Ballila before retiring in the same car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans of the same year.

1950 Simca Gordini Berlinetta 1500 20S with racing livery no. 33 has a special historical moment of being the first race car used by Juan Manuel Fangio at the La Sarthe circuit back in the 1950. (Picture from: Carburando)

The story of Gordini's mechanical adventures with Simca cars dates back to 1937, when he got the nickname of 'Le Sorcier,' after succeeded in presenting an extraordinary car capability compared to the initial performances of the engines by using the low-cost parts implemented. And later, he applied it onto the Simca 5 and Simca 8 to double their power, allowing these cars to compete with the much more luxurious and powerful models.

All of it thanks to light and resistant tubular chassis and satisfactory, albeit empirical, aerodynamics, the Simca-Gordini are at the top of their class in a number of competitions and sometimes even figure prominently in the general rankings in endurance races. due to good engine reliability. On the other hand, at Le Mans, there was no success and the abandonment was almost systematic.

1950 Simca Gordini Berlinetta 1500 20S with racing livery no. 33 of Juan Manuel Fangio sat on display at the Museo Juan Manuel Fangio in Balcarce, Argentina. (Picture from: Wikimedia)

After the war, all hopes were high and Gordini imagined creating his own cars without going through the transformation of Simca models. During the late 1940s, while using the mechanics of Simca, he produced competition cars that rivaled the best brands of the time. He even hired a young Argentinian racing driver named Juan-Manuel Fangio.

From several sources on the Internet is stated that the racing car is built by Gordini as many as 20 units, and still powered by the Simca 8's 1200 engine block which has increased to 1,220 cc then 1,430 cc. And one of them (with the racing livery No. 33) was driven by a legendary Argentinian racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio, on his debut in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

1950 Simca Gordini Berlinetta 1500 20S with racing livery no. 33 is powered by the Simca 8's 1200 engine block which has increased to 1,220 cc then 1,430 cc. (Picture from: Carburando)

At the time, Fangio alternated with José Froilán González the driving of an experimental car that Amadeo Gordini prepared especially for the occasion, the 20S, a coupe as peculiar as its origin: true to his style, Gordini thought about it and built with previous prototype components, but also of street vehicles, which Simca sold at its dealerships. 

Unfortunately, in the race held at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the Simca Gordini 20S racing car driven by Fangio and González could not finish the race and had to give up after completing 95 laps. This may be due to Gordini play too many board at once. Sometimes in Formula 1, then in Formula 2 or sometimes at the 24 hours of Le Mans, the mechanics are exhausted and the results in the race are affected, so that Simca ends up withdrawing its support. Gordini does not give up and, on the verge of ruin, he is forced to play the tightrope walk with his budget.

Unfortunately, in the race held at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the Simca Gordini 20S racing car driven by Fangio and González could not finish the race and had to give up after completing 95 laps. (Picture from: Carburando)

Gordini maintained this until 1956 and in 1957, after the Naples Grand Prix, he threw in the towel, drawing a line on the sports team. He then crosses paths with Pierre Dreyfus, boss of Régie Renault, who offers him a collaboration. The result is a line of cars which begins with the Dauphine Gordini, then continues with the Renault 8 Gordini, then the Renault 12, Renault 17 ... He also collaborates with Jean Rédélé for Alpine in the development of cars participating in Le Mans, equipped with engines modified by "The Sorcerer".

At 75, he decided to retire but kept a workshop in the Paris region which allowed him to satisfy his passion. He's passed away a few weeks before his 80th birthday, leaving behind an epic that can only leave admiration when one is a car enthusiast. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | QUIRKYRIDES | MUSEOFANGIO | AUTOCROISEES | CARBURANDO | CARLOOK.NET ]

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