25/7/1905 - 7/12/1977
Record updated
Born in Villenueve-Saint-Georges, Grignard was a Hotchkiss emplyee who competed in rallying in the late 1920s including Monte Carlo 1928 and 1929. He borrowed the money to buy himself a used Amilcar which he raced in the Bol d'Or.
He raced intermittently during the following decade while building up his garage business.
After the war he reappeared in a Delahaye which he raced for much of 1946. Georges then joined the Ecurie Vallee team for 1947 but having disposed of the Delahaye, found himself virtually sidelined until late 1948, when he finally took delivery of a long-awaited Talbot. Once wedded to his beloved car, Grignard raced it extensively over the next few seasons, his best placings being third at Pau in 1949 and sixth at Rouen in 1953.
He won the non-title Paris Grand Prix in 1950 and had a single Championship outing in his own 4.5-liter car in the following year's Spanish Grand Prix at Pedralbes, where he retired with his Talbot-Lago.
Not a particularly quick driver, he nevertheless possessed mechanical sympathy and continued to compete, mainly in sports cars, until 1955, after which he retired to his garage business. He was still not finished with the Talbot marque, however, for in 1959 he took the opportunity to buy up all the liquidated stock, subsequently acting as a supplier to collectors around the world.
He died at Port Marly, France.
hr