The X---- Porsche cars

[Porschinelle]

Cars are ready for the start
Claude Storez Zagato is on the first with Noblet and his Alfa Romeo Guiletta
On the second row a Citroen ID19 and a Porsche speedster
Behind Gonzague Olivier Porsche 356 Carrera

As seen on this pic Claude Storez Zagato has little damage at the front right
One fog light is missing and the right wing is a little crumpled

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Car are ready to go under Toto Roche race director orders

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The accident as describe in a period correct magazine

[Blechquäler]

You're a living encyclopedia !!
Thank you so much!

Gerd

[Porschinelle]

Traduction
On the starting line the white Porsche was on the offside
She was showing traces of an accident on the front
Claude Storez was very relax and even smiling
He was discussing with Noblet whose Alfa Romeo was on his right :
Don't take me several laps with your car 40 KM/H quicker than mine
The start flag is down and the cars are off for 12 laps
We could see them with our spectacles accelerating in the Soissons/Reims straiht
After the bump, Claude Storez was ahead, nut shortly after Noblet pass him
Car were reaching the Thillois curve just before to take the straight leading to the stands and the pit lanes
400 meters before the Thillois curve the Porsche was again ahead by a large space of all the other cars, when suddently we saw the Porsche swith to the right and take off in the air to land several meters off the track
What happened ?
The gendarmerie (cops) helicopter who was following the race in the air land immediately very close to the accidented car
Claude Storez had his helmet push on his head and an open injury to the leg was immediately taken to the hospital by the helicopter
Unfortunately he died half an hour later still unconscious
At the end of the race (who had not been stop despite the accident) the direct witnesses of the accident including Gonzague Olivier who was driving the same car than Claude Storez (not true as we all know) said :
It is in the braking zone before the Thillois curve just after the 400 m mark at around 350 meters from the curve that I saw Claude Storez brale lights on
Immediately the car went toward the right, plough nthe ditch and flew in the air
Claude was ejected from the car who fall back on its wheels around 100 meters away
Just before his accident Claude Sorez speed was in the region of 200 km/h
Claude Storez was a very elegant man up to the extremity of the nails, intelligent,well educated, a wheel prince
Maurice Metivier president of the French car association said : I am convince that his courage wil be an example for our young hopes

[Porschinelle]

Map of the Reims race track

Claude Storez accident happen at around 350 meters froms the Thillois pin curve

On this pic you see the 400 meters mark with in the far Claude Storez car in the ditch still on its wheels after several loopings in the air




Claude Storez Zagato after the accident

[Porschinelle]

Suppositions on what could have happen
Some says that Claude Storez larger wheels could have rub against the wings mainly on the front right who had been deformed by the former accident, hence a tyre explosure
On the above pic of the car after the accident at least the left tyres seems still inflated after the accident
A more likely explanation is that something broke on the front right wheel
Susension ?
Brakes ?
One lap of the Reims race track equal 8301 meters
The accident happen at the le Thilois curve ie around after more than 6000 meters
Before Le Thillois curve Claude Storez had to use his brakes first in the Annie Bousquet curve at the end of the start straight and then a second very hard braking in the Muizon sharp curve
If Claude had feel someting he would have been carefull before to arrive in the Le Thilois curve
More likely I suppose something broke suddenly in the front brake blocking it

[Porschinelle]

Last mystery : what happen to the car after the accident ?
After this pic nobody has everseen this car

[Porschinelle]

Of course the car was badely damaged but a lot of other much more damaged cars are still on the road to day
What will follow is my own thought
Claude Storez co pilot Tremble was not in the car but waiting fir Claude to finish his 12 laps in the pits
Gonzague Olivier was driving a 356 Carrera in the same race
The story did not say if he stop his car after having seen Claude car leave the track but being a Claude very close friend, he certainly did not continued the rallye and organise the recovery of the Zagato
For me this car was towed into Auguste Veuillet Sonauto garage in the Paris suburb
As I said several times Claude Storez family was very wealthy
As far as I know Claude was not married and still very close with his parents as prooved byn the following pic taken in September 1958 before the Tour auto start

[Porschinelle]

Claude Storez Zagato was a unique car closely linked to Claude
Therefore I suppose that Claude Storez parents have not wish to see this car back on the road and ask Auguste Veuillet to destroy it.
At least the Fuhrmann engine may have survive
May be Steve know ?

[Porschinelle]

If Herb Wetanson had not existed, the story of Claude Storez Zagato will have ended there
But Herb Wetanson exist and in 2012 he contacted Zagato in order to find out if they were prepared to rebuilt for him a Claude Storez Zagato recreation
Zagato policy is to accept to recreate the cars they built in the past at the only condition that this car no longer exist
Herb Wetanson sent to Zagato his 356 A cab and got a perfect Zagato Porsche recreation which is since regularly desplayed in the US
Original 1958 dwgs had desapeared
Zagato recreated new dwgs by scanning existing pics of Claude car
Here the result

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[JTR70]

Thanks Gerard, Interesting read as always! WOW! not much to that door is there?

[Porschinelle]

I will be again away until next Wednesday
Next story will concern the most famous X... Porsche of all the 356 Abarth Carrera.
As a specific topic exist for these 20 cars it will be only a quick summary
Before to start some more pics left from those I collect to write Claude Storez life
First interesting meeting o 3 off the cars that Claude drove during is short racing career

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Its only scale models, but nicely done :
The French blue 550 race number 231 is the one Claude shared with Herbert Linge during the 4th edition of the Tour Auto in September 1954 where they finish 2nd overall behind a Gordini and in front of an Osca
The white 356 speester race number 4 is of course Claude personnal speedster he took to the overall victory in the 1957 Liege Rome Liege with Robert Buchet
The white Zagato race number 139 is the car he shared again with Robert Buchet in the 1958 Tour Auto