Georges Philippe

"Georges Philippe" was the pseudonym used by Philippe de Rothschild during his brief career as a motor racing driver in 1928 and 1929. He raced his own Bugatti T35C with moderate success, including coming fourth in the 1929 Monaco Grand Prix. He also made a brief appearance for the elite Bugatti works team, but at the end of 1929 he abruptly withdrew from motorsport, to concentrate on the family wine growing business.

Rothschild made his first competition appearance in the Paris-Nice auto race of 1928, competing in a borrowed Hispano-Suiza. After purchasing a Bugatti T37, he adpoted the psudonym to protect his family. "Georges Philippe" made his first appearance at the 1928 Bugatti Grand Prix at Le Mans, a race solely for private Bugatti owners.

For 1929, Rothschild decided to upgrade to a full Grand Prix-specification Type 35C. In fact, so enamoured with the vehicles was he, he ordered three. Using one of the new cars, "Georges Philippe" was eneterd into the Grand Prix d'Antibes. In a field that included Rene Dreyfus and Philippe Etancelin, both race winners many times over, Rothschild led the race until he crashed out on the 36th lap. A mere two weeks later, with the car rebuilt, "Georges Philippe" finished a highly creditable fourth at the inaugural Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco.

Continued improvement was finally rewarded when "Georges Philippe" won the Burgundy Grand Prix three weeks later, finishing ahead of Guy Bouriat in a second Rothschild T35C. However, he was unfortunate to retire from the following race while running sixth. The third of Rothschild's T35Cs was regularly campaigned by a rather curious acquaintance for a future Baron. A model and exotic dancer at the Casino de Paris, Helene Delangle regularly took to the track under her professional psudonym "Hellé Nice".

Nevertheless, "Georges Philippe" had attracted sufficient attention to be offered a factory drive alongside Monegasque star Louis Chiron. In his two races for the crack squad, Rothschild ran at the front of the field, before dropping back later in the race due to vehicle troubles. At the 1929 German Grand Prix, around the notorious Nürburgring Nordschlife, "Georges Philippe" was comfortably ahead of Chiron before contact with a wall caused damage to his Bugatti's axle, slowing the car and allowing Chiron to pass and take the victory.

Unfortuately, increasing fame was wearing "Georges Philippe"'s anonymity rather thin. His final appearance was in the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans where, driving an American Stutz, he failed to finish. After this Rothschild quietly laid "Georges Philippe" to rest, and returned to running Château Mouton Rothschild, responsibility for which he had inherited in 1921. Baron Philippe de Rothschild died in January 1988.

External links

* [http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00377.html The life of "Georges Philippe" at GrandPrix.com]