Photo : Pascal BLEJEAN - www.esprit-racing.com

 

Born in 1832, Chapal specialized in tannery, including the manufacture of pilot clothing for the French air force during World War II. But the other passion of the Bardinon family, who decided the destiny of the house, was Ferrari. Deceased in 2012, Pierre Bardinon was one of the world's foremost collectors of Ferraris, gathered at his Mas du Clos (Creuse) track. "My father became interested in cars despite a lack of preceding example in the family", said Jean-François Bardinon. In the 60s, he began to come to Le Mans and get more and more excited, and he liked to say he was first seduced by the sound of the 12-cylinder Ferrari engine. Then, one thing led to another, including Luigi Chinetti (who gave Ferrari its first victory at Le Mans since its first participation in 1949), and he began to buy them. For my part, my first real Ferrariste memory is the short chassis 250 GT in the courtyard of our apartment in Paris. Then, around age ten, when he began to have us drive the 250 GT, my brother and me."

On the Chapal display is also exhibited an Allard. This unknown British sportswoman came four consecutive years for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, from 1950 to 1953. For Jean-François Bardinon, passion for motorsport is one of the Chapal guidelines: "For me, this is all linked: the beauty of old cars and the elegance of drivers of that era. Ferrari is the passion the most "media-oriented" of the Bardinon family, but our other great love is Chapal. My father gave priority to Ferrari, but we were all very happy because Chapal allowed us to live. I wanted to take over and run a slightly more dedicated line. Coincidentally, I turned to motorsport clothing even though we were more inclined towards aviation. I was lucky to hit at a time when vintage cars and the events that bring them together were very popular, and my father was one of the pioneers of this movement."

Chapal also cultivated the Bardinon family history with Ferrari and Le Mans thanks to its ambassador, Paul Belmondo, visiting during the opening of Rétromobile, who himself boasts eleven entries in the 24 Hours.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translated by Rainier Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo : PARIS (FRANCE), PARIS EXPO PORTE DE VERSAILLES, RETROMOBILE SALON, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 5 2014. The Chapal display offered a nod to Ferrari's history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.