Benoît Musy

Benoît Musy
Nationality Switzerland Swiss
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1949 - 1951
First race1949 250cc Swiss motorcycle Grand Prix
Last race1951 500cc Swiss Grand Prix
Team(s)Moto Guzzi
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
4 0 0 0 0 8.5
Benoît Musy
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Switzerland Swiss
Active years 1954 - 1955 - 1956
Teams Musy and Maserati
Races 15
Wins 9
Podiums 11
Last race 1956 Grand Prix Monthlery, fatal accident

Benoît Nicolas Musy (December 13, 1917 – October 7, 1956) was a Swiss Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Maserati race car driver.

Biography

Musy was born on December 13, 1917 in Bern, Switzerland, the son of the Swiss president Jean-Marie Musy. He received an agriculture engineering degree from L'institut agricole de l'Etat de Fribourg in Grangeneuve / FR - Switzerland, and served in the air force during the Swiss military mobilisation World War II. During 1944 he rescued a large number (1,200) of Jews from the concentration camp Theresienstadt with his father.[1] He also received one of the first Swiss parachute jumper licenses in 1947.[2]

Motor Sports Champion, part 1: motorcycle

He acquired further fame as a motorcycle racer, winning six Swiss championships with Moto Guzzi motorcycles. He also competed in the 1949 Swiss motorcycle Grand Prix, part of the inaugural Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. He competed in three more Swiss motorcycle Grand Prix races, finishing as high as fourth place.[3]

Motor Sports Champion, part 2: motorcar

Maserati A6 GCS
Maserati 150S

Later he moved to racing cars. He had various ones, all Maserati. Musy started in May 1954, with a 1953 Maserati A6 or A6GCS (#2040),[4] a Maserati factory race car, formerly used by Giletti, the official Maserati pilot. With this car he has won several races, including some record laps, on different tracks. He sold the car in 1955 to Pietro Pagliarini.

At that time, Benoît Musy was already part of the semi-official driver of Maserati. He took part of several races with very little success on Maserati 150, Maserati 200S and Maserati 200Si. He even participated at a race in Dakar (Sénégal) with a Maserati 250. He did not finish.[5]

Maserati 200SI
Maserati 300S

After a test drive in the Swedish Grand Prix, he bought a Maserati 300S (#3057) in 1955 with which he earned several podium results. It was a red car with a large white strip going from front to rear.

Musy died in a racing event at Autodrome de Montlhéry, France, on October 7, 1956, crashing a factory Maserati 200S (#2047) over an embankment after a steering column breakdown. Ejected from the car, he died immediately. In total, he attended eleven mid-1950s European sports car championships, of which he won five.[6]

#3057 Maserati 300S

The #3057 Maserati 300S was later sold to the Angolan Racing Team

  • in Nov. 1975: the Angolan Revolution in Nov. 1975, the car was left behind.
  • it was transformed into street car with a US V8 cylinder engine and #3057 was used as a convertible sports car.
  • in Nov. 1989 Stein Johnsen, from Norway, discovered it and imported it to Norway
  • in March 1991 The car arrived in Oslo per ship
  • in Feb 1992 The car was sold to Peter J. Scott, Ashe Park, Hampshire, UK "MSJ 963"
  • from 1992 to 1994 The car isgoing through a major restoration project at Church Green, Dorset. A new Maserati engine from Cyril Embry, body and gearbox, from Eyears. Engine from this car is in s/n 3069
  • in Feb. 1995 Offered by Paradise Garage, Scout Lane, Clapham, London T&CC
  • in Aug. 1996 Coys Historic Festival Silverstone Martin Stretton #31
  • in May 19973rd GP Historique Monaco Martin Stretton #10
  • in Jul. 1997 Coys Historic Festival Silverstone Martin Stretton #47
  • in Aug. 1997 2nd OGP Nuerburgring Martin Stretton #235
  • in Jul. 1998 Coys Historic Festival Silverstone Martin Stretton #10
  • in Oct. 1998 Sold to Tom Walduck, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK
  • in 1999 Mille Miglia Walduck/McSwan #317
  • in March 2000 Sold to Dr. Michael Hinderer, Gruenwald, D
  • in June 20000 Shell Historic Challenge, Le Mans Michael Hinderer #155
  • in Aug. 2000 OGP Nuerburgring 2000 Michael Hinderer #360
  • in Apr. 2001 Shell Historic Challenge, Spa Michael Hinderer #58
  • in June 2001 Shell Historic Challenge, Brands Hatch Martin Stretton #58
  • in Aug. 2001 Silverstone Historic Festival Martin Stretton #33
  • in Aug. 2001 OGP Nuerburgring Michael Hinderer #426
  • in Oct. 2001 Tutte le Ferrari a Monza Michael Hinderer #58

Auto racing results

Year Position Racetrack - Country Car
19541stCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) Maserati 2000cc A6GCS
19544thAquila racetrack (Switzerland)Maserati 2000cc
19541stMegève racetrack best time ever (France)Maserati 2000cc
19542ndSenigallia racetrack (Italy)Maserati 2000cc
19542ndSenigallia racetrack (Italy)Maserati 2000cc
1954 2ndCircuit Park Zandvoort (Netherland)Maserati 2000cc
19542ndCircuit Bremgarten Swiss Grand-PrixMaserati 2000cc
19542ndKandersteg racetrack (Switzerland)Maserati 2000cc
19541stAutodrome de Linas-Montlhéry (France)Maserati 2000cc
19541stCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)Maserati 2000cc
19551stGrand Prix des Frontières (Chimay Street Circuit) (Belgium)Maserati 3000cc 300S
19554thPorto Grand Prix (Monsanto Park) (Portugal)Maserati 3000cc
19552ndMessina 10 h night race (Italy)Masearti 3000cc
19551stKarlskoga – Kanonloppet (Sweden)Maserati 3000cc
19561stfirst heat Oulton Park best time ever (UK)Maserati 3000 cc
19561stGrand Prix des Frontières (Chimay Street Circuit) (Belgium)Maserati 3000cc
19564thBari Grand Prix (Italy)Maserati 3000 cc
19561stSables-d'Olonne Grand-Prix (France)Maserati 3000 cc

References

  1. ↑ "Holocaust Rescue". musy.net. October 2013. Retrieved 2013-26-13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ↑ "Benoît Musy Parachute jumper". musy.net. October 2013. Retrieved 2013-26-13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ↑ "Benoit Musy career statistics at". Motogp.com. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
  4. ↑ "Maserati A6GCS". Conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
  5. ↑ Maserati 250
  6. ↑ "Maserati 150/200S Benoît Musy accident in Montlhéry France". musy.net. October 2013. Retrieved 2013-26-13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links