Raymond Sommer Biography: Raymond Pierre Sommer was a motor racing driver from France. He raced with some success before and after WWII, particularly in endurance racing.
Raymond Sommer Biography
Raymond Sommer Biography: Sommer was born on August 31, 1906, in Mouzon, Ardennes, France, into a wealthy Sedan carpet-making family. In 1909, his father, Roger Sommer, broke the Wright Brothers’ record for the longest flight. Raymond didn’t start displaying rash signals until 1931, when he entered motor races in a privateer Chrysler Imperial. The following year, despite having to drive over 20 hours alone after his partner, Luigi Chinetti, retired ill, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Raymond Sommer Wiki
| Name | Raymond Sommer |
| Date Of Birth | August 31, 1906 |
| Birth Place | Mouzon, Ardennes, France |
| Died | 10 September 1950 |
| Height | N/A |
| Weight | N/A |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Profession | Racing Driver |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Car Collection | N/A |
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Raymond Sommer Career
Sommer dominated the French endurance classic during the 1930s, winning again in 1933, driving an Alfa Romeo alongside Tazio Nuvolari. He also led every race until 1938, only to have a mechanical failure 12 laps later. Sommer traveled to Long Island, New York, for the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup, finishing fourth behind Victor Nuvolari.
However, his preference for privately entered Alfa Romeos did not serve him well on the Grand Prix circuit, and while finishing in the top ten in Grands Épreuves regularly, he never won a race. Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, along with the French Bugatti team, were the leading forces in Grand Prix racing at the time.
Sommer moved to sports cars, winning the French Grand Prix with Jean-Pierre Wimille and the Spa 24 Hours endurance event with co-driver Francesco Severi in 1936. More victories followed, especially the “Marseilles Three Hours” at Miramas, the Grand Prix de Tunisie, and the La Turbie hill climb race with Alfa Romeo 308 in 1938 and 1939, until the onset of World War II, when he became an active member of the French Resistance organization.
Sommer immediately returned to winning ways after the war, winning the 1946 René Le Bègue Cup race at Saint-Cloud. He won the first Grand Prix for Enzo Ferrari as an independent constructor at the 1947 Turin Grand Prix in Valentino Park. Sommer left the Ferrari team the next season to race in a privately owned car, this time a Talbot-Lago. Sommer competed in two Grand Prix races for Ferrari and three for a privately entered Talbot-Lago in 1950, retiring in all but one.
