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Hellé Nice, born Mariette Hélène Delangle on December 15, 1900, in Aunay-sous-Auneau, France, lived a life that defied conventions, expectations, and the dangers of motorsport. A model, dancer, and one of the earliest female racing drivers to gain international fame, she carved her name into the golden age of motor racing during the 1920s and 1930s. Glamorous, daring, and incredibly fast, Hellé Nice symbolized the spirit of a generation of women breaking boundaries — until her life was tragically upended by war, scandal, and silence.

Early Life and Entry Into the Spotlight

Born into a modest family — her father was a postal worker — Mariette Hélène Delangle moved to Paris in her teens. There, she reinvented herself. She adopted the stage name “Hellé Nice” and became a celebrated dancer and model during the roaring 1920s. Performing at the famed Folies Bergère, she dazzled Parisian audiences with her energy, athleticism, and charisma. She also posed for fashion photographers, and her face became synonymous with the glamour of post-war Paris.

But her life took a sharp turn in 1929. A skiing accident damaged her knee, ending her dancing career. Hellé, however, refused to be sidelined. She had long loved fast cars and had already purchased a Citroën roadster, which she drove with great enthusiasm on the streets of Paris. After her accident, she decided to take her love of speed to the racetrack.

A Star Behind the Wheel

In 1929, Hellé Nice entered the world of motor racing — a domain almost entirely ruled by men. That same year, she made headlines by winning the all-female Grand Prix Féminin at Montlhéry, driving an Oméga-Six. Her driving impressed onlookers with its boldness and speed, and soon, she had the attention of one of France’s most prestigious automobile manufacturers: Bugatti.

In 1930, Bugatti signed Hellé Nice to drive a Type 35C, a Grand Prix car normally reserved for elite male drivers. She became the only woman of her time to drive for Bugatti as a fully sponsored factory driver. This partnership was groundbreaking and immediately placed her among the elite drivers of the era.

Nice raced across Europe and North Africa in events that were both glamorous and grueling. She competed in the Monte Carlo Rally, the Italian Mille Miglia, and countless endurance events and Grand Prix races in France, Morocco, and Algeria. Crowds were drawn not just to her skill but also to her sense of showmanship: she often raced in stylish outfits, sometimes wearing bright red lipstick, and exuded confidence on and off the track.

Breaking Records and Barriers

Hellé Nice wasn’t just a novelty; she was a serious competitor. In 1930, at the Montlhéry Autodrome near Paris, she set a new women’s speed record — 197.7 km/h (123 mph) — a sensational feat at the time. Her record stood as a symbol of female potential in a sport that regarded women with skepticism.

Throughout the early 1930s, she regularly finished high in races, often beating experienced male competitors. She raced against and alongside some of the sport’s biggest names: Tazio Nuvolari, Luigi Fagioli, Philippe Étancelin, and Jean-Pierre Wimille.

Hellé also took her racing ambitions across the Atlantic. In 1936, she traveled to Brazil, where she was invited to compete in the Grand Prix of São Paulo. During the race, her car crashed due to a mechanical failure, hurtling off the track and into a crowd, killing several spectators. Miraculously, she survived — thrown from the car and landing in a pile of cactus. She spent weeks recovering but returned to racing soon after, cementing her reputation for resilience and courage.

A Life of Glamour

Hellé Nice’s fame was not confined to the racetrack. She lived a life of luxury and style, often surrounded by artists, actors, aristocrats, and fellow racers. Her love affairs were the subject of gossip columns, and she reportedly had relationships with high-profile men such as Philippe de Rothschild, Count Bruno d’Harcourt, and even Jean Bugatti.

She lived in a villa in the French Riviera, hosted extravagant parties, and was a darling of the press. Her story — a woman succeeding in a dangerous, male-dominated sport — captured the imagination of a society obsessed with speed, glamour, and modernity.

Fall from Grace

Despite her successes, Hellé Nice’s career and life took a dark and tragic turn during and after World War II. In 1949, during a press event organized by the driver Louis Chiron — himself a celebrated racing figure — Nice was accused of being a Gestapo agent during the German occupation of France.

The accusation was devastating. Though no concrete evidence was ever produced, the racing community, including her sponsors and friends, distanced themselves from her. She was never formally charged or convicted, but the damage to her reputation was irreversible. Her racing career came to an abrupt end, and her name was erased from the annals of motorsport.

In the postwar years, Hellé lived in relative obscurity and poverty. She attempted to clear her name but was unsuccessful. She spent her final years in a small apartment outside Nice, dependent on charity and the support of a few loyal friends. She died on October 1, 1984, largely forgotten by the racing world she had once electrified.

Rediscovery and Legacy

For decades, Hellé Nice’s contributions to motorsport were omitted from the sport’s history. It was only in the 2000s that her name began to resurface, thanks to the work of historians and authors like Miranda Seymour, who published a biography titled “The Bugatti Queen” in 2004. The book rekindled interest in Hellé Nice and sparked new recognition of her achievements.

In 2009, the Hellé Nice Foundation was established to celebrate and preserve her legacy. Motorsport museums and organizations have begun to include her story among the pioneers of racing, especially as more attention is given to women’s contributions to the sport.

Today, Hellé Nice is recognized as one of the first female racing superstars — a trailblazer who shattered barriers not just for women, but for anyone who refused to be confined by convention.

Conclusion

Hellé Nice was much more than a female driver in a man’s sport. She was a record-setter, a fierce competitor, and a symbol of modern womanhood during the interwar years. Her courage behind the wheel, charisma off the track, and her dramatic fall from grace make her one of the most compelling figures in racing history.

Her story is both inspiring and tragic — a reminder of how quickly fame can fade, but also of how resilient pioneers eventually find their rightful place in history. Today, as the world of motorsport opens up to new generations of women, the legacy of Hellé Nice roars back to life — as vibrant and unstoppable as she once was.