Respect for the Charlatan

As you’ll read in this issue’s news, the much-revered Lyndley Bothwell collection was recently sold by Bonhams. Of particular interest in this collection was arguably the jewel in the crown, the 1914 Peugeot L45 Grand Prix car. While many have noted the record breaking price it achieved ($7.26 million), few if any have mentioned or even acknowledge the incredible historical significance of this vehicle. I would argue that this may very well be the most significant historic racecar…of all time. An overly grand statement? Perhaps. But consider the evidence.

The dawn of the 20th Century witnessed the “real” birth of motor racing, and 1906 marked the first Grand Prix. During this time period aspiring auto manufacturers began to realize that competition could set their products apart from the rest. During these nascent days, the quest for speed was dominated by essentially one developmental factor—displacement. If Mercedes won a race with a 12-liter engine, Fiat would respond with a 14-liter engine. The saying, “there’s no substitute for horsepower” was etched in stone tablets, right at the very beginning. But then, around 1910, an unlikely trio came up with an unlikely car that not only shook the then very foundations of motorsport, but would go on to become the archetype for literally every competitive racecar that would follow.