Pierre Bouillin

Biographical information

RolesNon-starter
SexMale
Full namePierre Eugène Alfred•Bouillin
Used namePierre•Bouillin
Other namesPierre Levegh
Born22 December 1905 in Paris IXe, Paris (FRA)
Died11 June 1955 in Le Mans, Sarthe (FRA)
AffiliationsCSHP, Paris (FRA)
NOC France

Biography

Pierre Bouillin was on the 1924 French hockey team although he did not play in any matches, but he was much better known as a race car driver. Bouillin was wealthy and owned a brush factory in Trie-Château and also worked as a car dealer in Paris. In addition to hockey and speed skating, he was known as a top tennis player.

Bouillin raced cars under the pseudonym Pierre Levegh. He first raced at Le Mans in the 24-hour race in 1938 as a relief driver for the Talbot team. He placed fourth at Le Mans in 1951 and in 1952 led the race for 22 hours, only to see his engine fail.

In 1955 Levegh/Bouillin was in a Merceds Benz 300SLR on 11 June 1955. Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn pulled off the track to brake for a pit stop, causing Austin-Healey driver Lance Macklin to swerve out, directly into the path of Levegh, who rear-ended Macklin at full speed. Levegh/Bouillin’s car was launched into the spectators and exploded into flames. Pierre Bouillin/Levegh was killed instantly, and 83 spectators were killed, injuring more than 180 others. The crash caused Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from car racing for over 40 years.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1924 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) FRA Pierre Bouillin
Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) France DNS

Olympic family relations

Special Notes