Frederick Gordon Crosby
66 × 91 cm
Signed, charcoal and watercolour on paper 66 x 91 cm (30 x 26 in).
The 1912 Peugeot L76 (L for Lion and 76 for engine size) was an extremely successful Voiturette racing car. Powered by a four-cylinder in-line 7,598-cc engine, it was the first motorcar to use dual overhead camshafts, with four valves per cylinder and centrally mounted sparkplug. In 1912 it won the Mount Ventoux Hill Climb, Grand Prix de L’ACF, as well as claiming victories at the Indianapolis 500 and four other French motorsport races and events. The car also took a World Record at Brooklands for the half mile rolling start at a speed of 177 km/h, making the Peugeot Team the most successful racing team in Europe in 1913. The Peugeot had a major influence upon W.O. Bentley’s design of the 1919 3-Litre Bentley.