Rolland-Pilain A22 (1923)

Based in the town of Tours itself, the Rolland-Pilain company, founded in 1905 by Francois Rolland and Emile Pilain, had a reputation as an innovative manufacturer but for the 1923 French Grand Prix they entered a car which was already a year old and was much heavier and slower than the Sunbeams and FIATs, possibly due to limited finances.

Three cars entered the Grand Prix: two eight cylinder models, driven by Albert Guyot and Victor Hemery, and a six cylinder sleeve valve model, driven by Jules Goux, which developed engine trouble and failed to start.

In the race, Hemery retired on lap eight with a broken oil pump while Guyot at one point found himself in second place before eventually retiring on lap twenty-nine when his oil pump proved to be only slightly more resilient than his team-mate's.

Rolland-Pilain's high point as a Grand Prix team came in the 1923 San Sebastian Grand Prix at the Circuito Lasarte in Spain. Albert Guyot won and the other A22 took second place, commendably driven by Victor Hemery's riding mechanic Gaston Delalande, after Hemery had been struck down by food poisoning. Delalande had never driven the course before and had to learn it in the race.

In 1926 financial problems led to Rolland and Pilain losing control of their company, which ceased car production in 1927 and finally closed its factory in 1932.

Engine: inline 8 cylinder, 1982cc, 97 bhp
Tyres: 765mm x 105mm
Brakes: Hydraulic assisted front drum brakes, mechanical rear
Weight: 822/842 kg (Tours cars)