15th, Mercedes Dominance and Boillot's Last Heroic Stand
The tension had deeper roots than a mere motor race when teams and drivers gathered at Reims in July 1914. Little more than a month afterwards, the world would be at war.
In a parallel universe, 37 cars representing 14 manufacturers took part in the final race of a great era, with Mercedes and Peugeot to the fore. Peugeot had been experimenting with aerodynamics – with assistance from respected tower designer Gustav Eiffel – and had four streamlined cars ready for its home race. Mercedes brought five cars – but unlike the Peugeots its cars had brakes only at the rear. Drivers would set off two at a time, at half-minute intervals, and fight against the clock rather than wheel to wheel.