The Bugatti Queen/ Miranda Seymour
Miranda Seymour has written an outstanding biography of a woman of whom I have never heard, Helene Delangle aka Helle Nice arguably the finest female racing driver of all time. Born at the very start of the twentieth century, in a provincial French family, her father was a postman, she first went to Paris where she earned her living as a dancer showgirl augmented by some nude photography. This and numerous lovers set the tone of a racy lifestyle. She competed in a motor racing event for showbiz stars and rapidly made the transition into a motor racing achiever. In 1928 she broke the woman’s speed record at Montlhery, having signed up for Ettore Bugatti to drive his car and until her accident in São Paulo was the dominant female driver competing often successfully though never to win a Grand Prix against such titans as Nuvolari. She also competed in rallies .
Her good looks and fine figure ensured a succession of lovers. As far as one could gather she might have several at the same time and was involved in more than one ménage a trios. She had a discreet affaire with Philippe de Rothschild who introduced her to Ettore Bugatti. She ultimately set up home in Beaulieu in the South of France in Villa des Pins with Arnaldo Birelli, an inventor and chancer whom she claims took her all her money. She lived out her life in straightened circumstances in a rat infested flat in Nice supported by an actor’s charity, her last companions being her scrapbook and trophies. She died in 1984.
The biography provides a fascinating account of the glamour and intense danger of early motor racing. There were none of the precautions that are now required and most of her friends died at the wheel. At the São Paulo race she lost control of her car when a bale of hay was tossed in fron it out so the Brazilian crowd favourite could win, she was thrown in the air and suffered concussion and the car hurtled into the crowd causing several deaths and many injuries.
The book also provides an interesting account of France between and after the wars. Whilst Helle Nice was denounced as a Gestapo agent by a rival driver Louis Charon there is no evidence to support this. She did consort with a German officer but he was arrested and was not a member of the Gestapo or likely to recruit her. Miranda Seymour thinks it’s more likely that she was unpopular as an attention seeking woman in a male dominated sport.
Miranda Seymour has managed to piece together her extraordinary life with access only to that scrapbook as a primary source. This is some achievement as her other research is secondary based on histories of the Bugattis for example. She does conject but tells you when she is doing so and many of her conclusions make sense. Helle Nice must have been quite a woman, a risk taker, skilled driver, libertine, egoist, bad tempered, hotheaded but if she had a sad end this superb biography ensures her place in motor racing is ensured. Here is a clip about her ,the Bugatti she drove in breaking the woman’s land speed record at Montlhery – HELLE NICE
