STORY OF THE DAY: A Long Defence Ends at the Transmission

Luigi Chinetti returned to Le Mans in 1950 with the number 24 Ferrari 195 S Barchetta, sharing it with Pierre-Louis Dreyfus, who raced under the name Heldé. The car completed 121 laps before transmission trouble ended its race. No Ferrari reached the finish that year, leaving the previous season’s winning marque without a classified result.

Chinetti’s presence gave the entry particular weight: he had delivered Ferrari’s first Le Mans victory in 1949 through an immense personal driving effort. This time the expanded 2.3-litre car remained in contention deep into the race but could not repeat that feat. Its retirement illustrated how endurance racing could reduce a strong performance to a single failed component after many hours of sustained running.

The 195 S evolved from the 166 MM around the same tubular chassis principles and Colombo-designed 60-degree V12 architecture. Capacity rose to about 2.3 litres, improving torque and speed while retaining compact dimensions. Open barchetta bodywork reduced weight, but the combination of higher output and twenty-four-hour running imposed greater stress on the transmission.

Chinetti was an Italian-born endurance specialist who became an American citizen, Ferrari importer and later founder of the North American Racing Team. Dreyfus was a French industrialist, Resistance figure and accomplished driver who used the pseudonym Heldé in competition; he was not Léon Dernier, despite that identity appearing in the supplied title. Together they represented two generations of pre-war endurance experience in Ferrari’s early Le Mans campaign.