J-P Wimille Explained

The J-P Wimille was a French automobile manufactured from 1946 until 1950. Powered by a rear-mounted 22 hp Ford V-8, it was an aerodynamic saloon designed by racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille. No more than 20 were built. Some of the cars appeared after Wimille's death in the 1953 film "Les amours finissent à l'aube".^[1]

Company history

The racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille founded the company for the production of automobiles in Paris in 1946. The brand name was Wimille. In 1948, a vehicle was displayed at the Paris Motor Show. After Wimille's death in 1949, only a few examples were produced. Production ended in 1950. A total of about eight vehicles were built.

Vehicles

The company produced two-seater, closed sports cars with mid-engine, as Wimille was enthusiastic about the mid-engine concept. The prototype from 1946 had a four-cylinder engine of the Citroën 11 CV with 1911 cc displacement and 54 hp. With this engine, the top speed was set at 150 km/h. Later, Ford supported the project, so that a V8 engine from the Ford Vedette with 2158 cc displacement and 60 to 66 hp was used.

Literature

• Roger Gloor: Nachkriegswagen 1945–1960. Hallwag Verlag, Bern und Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-444-10263-1.
• Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader: . United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8.
• George Nick Georgano (Editor-in-Chief): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 3: P–Z. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1. (English)
• George Nick Georgano: Cars. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours. Courtille, Paris 1975. (French)

References

David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles

Notes and References

1. 14 October 1953. Over to you.... The Motor. Temple Press Ld. London. 104. 2696. 383.