French title
Chassis no. 440

- One owner from 1929 - 1981!
- Extensive history file
- Rare, authentic survivor from the 20 cars built

As the Salmson factory records confirm, only 20 Grand Sport Course chassis were built, of which 7 were exported to Great Britain. Chassis no. 440 was the last and was delivered on 4 May 1928 to the dealer Poinsenet in Epernay.
The Grand Sport Course was mechanically identical to the models which finished 2nd and 3rd in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1927, behind a 3-litre Bentley. It used the same lowered chassis, Perrot Piganeau front axle, 4-speed gearbox and so-called 'San Sebastián' twin-spark engine as the 'Le Mans' models.

The vehicle registration records show that the car was registered as 5669 DU on 24 August 1929. Then on 6 September 1929, it passed into the ownership of Robert Dupont, a racing driver and mechanic living in Besançon (2877 EK); it was given the registration number 2867 DU 1 when Dupont moved to Dijon in 1931. In 1955, when the registration system changed, it was assigned the number 443 BX 21, which it kept until the father of the ladies who currently own the car acquired it in 1981! Numerous press articles and race reports testify to the various races Dupont entered and the notable results he obtained. After taking part in the Ballon d'Alsace race for the first time in 1929, he won his class the next year. He also achieved an outstanding 7th place overall (and 2nd in his class) in the Grand Prix de Lorraine in 1932. With a modified grille incorporating the headlamps in the lower part of the radiator, the car continued to compete in numerous races until the mid-1970s. When it joined the collection on 18 February 1981, it was in unusually well-preserved condition. The 'San Sebastián' then underwent a restoration, enabling it to return to the road and track, as well as a radiator grille to the factory specification. In 2016/17, the engine was stripped down to be rebuilt and then reinstalled in the car, but was never restarted due to health issues. Today, this historic car deserves a complete mechanical check-over before being driven. The older restoration carried out with the knowledge and means available at the time could be revisited, with the certainty that this is a genuine Grand Sport Course with a clear history and performance which still amazes today.

Full catalogue and more photos https://www.artcurial.com/en/sale-4315-retromobile-2023-artcurial-motorcars