Clement-Bayard Postscript

A reader reminds me that in the Forgotten Makes feature in the August MOTOR SPORT I omitted one significant but sad part of that history. Namely, that in practice for the 1907 French Grand Prix at Dieppe, Albert Clement, who had started racing for his father at the age of 19 in 1904, was killed when driving one of the 12.8-litre racing cars, now delinately called Bayard-Clements. He took a corner too fast after the five-mile straight and the car overturned. His death was a great blow; from the race aspect he was Team Captain, with a good chance of winning. In spite of his grief Adolphe Clement allowed the cars to start, Garcet and the ex-Hotchkiss American driver Shepard being joined by Alezy. Garcet and Shepard finished eighth and ninth, the former averaging 63.1mph in the Bayard-Clement Albert would have been driving, after a drive lasting more than 7hr 34rnin, with his team mate 5min 39.2sec behind him, compared to the great Felice Nazzaro’s winning speed with the 16.2-litre FIAT of 70.5mph. W B