Chenard-Walcker Type U Sport History

Designed by Henri Toutée, who had been with the firm since 1906, the Type U Sport debuted in 1922 around a 3,014 cc four-cylinder engine with a single overhead camshaft and inclined valves, a dry-sump lubrication system, and Hallot servo-assisted brakes. Output was close to 90 bhp — exceptional for a road-homologated sports car of the era.

At the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 1923, Chenard-Walcker entered three Type U Sport cars; the pair driven by factory engineers André Lagache and René Léonard took an outright 1–2 victory, covering more than 2,200 km in 24 hours. A third entry finished fourth in class. The rules required at least 30 road cars to be built, a threshold the marque comfortably cleared.

The Type U Sport remained in production until 1927, with a 2-litre variant joining the 3-litre shortly after the Le Mans triumph. The cars cemented Chenard-Walcker's reputation as France's premier sporting marque for a brief but glorious period in the mid-1920s.