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Biography

Harry Schell

Tim Havermans
Harry Schell
Harry Schell

Born : June 29 1921
Deceased : May 13 1960

Biography Harry Schell

Harry Schell was born in Paris to American parents. His father Laury Schell was an avid car racer and auto enthusiast. During one of his trips to France, he met Lucy O’Neill. She was a wealthy American heiress with a strong and vivid enthusiast in rallying. Soon they not only partnered up for racing but in life too. Lucy O’Neill invested heavily in the Duesenburg company. First she  raced sports cars for them and then championing the development of a Delahaye Grand Prix car, which she ran under the Ecurie Bleue banner. Shortly before World War II, Harry Schell’s parents got involved in a heavy car crash. Laury Schell didn’t  survive the crash, Harry’s mother Lucy was seriously injured. With parents so heavily involved in motorsports, it was no surprise that the then 18 year old Harry took interest in racing too.

Harry Schell and Luigi Chinetti at l’Ecurie Bleue in 1939

World War II

With the outbreak of World War II, Harry lef France and volunteered to fight with the Finnish Air Force during the Winter War that took place between that country and Russia. Though a volunteer for the Finnish Air Force, Harry would still follow in his parents’ footsteps and he would end up accompanying his mother to the United States in 1940. The war was not the real reason to leave for the USA again. Their goal was Indianopolis where they would promote 2 Delahayes at the race there. When the war reached the USA too, Harry volunteered for the US Army, putting his racing ambitions on a low. The Army led him back to Europe.

1947 Grand Prix of Switzerland at Bremgarten in Berne, Harry Schell’s Cisitalia D46, entered by his mother’s Ecurie Lucy O’Reilly Schell, runs ahead of Achille Varzi’s works Alfa Romeo 158

It wasn’t until the war was over, that Harry could start working on a proper race career. In Europe, racing catched up pretty soon after the war. Together with his brother,and with the financial support of his mother, Harry Schell bought a purchase a Cooper Mk IV for the new Formula 3 series. In addition to the motor racing, Schell would make a name for himself owning a popular stop for grand prix drivers.  His sporting varn called l’Action Automobile, this sporting bar would have astronomical prices. That didn’t scare some of the best drivers in the world making it one of the hottest places in all of Paris.

F1 Career

Harry Schell and Jean Behra at Sebring (c) Barc Boys

When F1 racing started in 1950, Harry Schell entered his Cooper in the championship. Ofcourse he couldn’t really keep up with guys like Juan Miguel Fangio. But Harry Schell just wanted to show the world what he could do in such a strong field. Over the next few seasons, Harry Schell participated in some  Formula One races for teams like Enrico Plate, Equipe Gordini and even his parents’ old team Ecurie Bleue. Schell was known to be a playboy off-track. Despite that, his performances would earned him a reputation as a consummate professional on the track. Every once and a while Schell snatched a victory, despite driving with average cars, and not having the support of a real factory team.

Sportcar Racing

In 1956, Scuderia Ferrari offered Harry Schell a seat in a sportscar. He took 3 consecutive 2nd places at the Agadir Grand Prix, another runner-spot in the Dakar 2 Hour, and a final 2nd place at Sebring. The list was completed with a victory at the Nurburgring 1000kms which he drove for the Officine Alfieri Maserati. Harry Schell moved to the USA again, and in 1958 he teamed up with Wolfgang Seidel for the Sebring 12h. They fnished 3rd and took class victory in a Porche 718 RSK.  

orsche factory Porsches 718 RSK at 1958 Sebring 12H

Back in Europe that same year, Schell shared the seat of a similar car with Belgian racer Paul Frère in the Nurburgring 1000kms to take 7th overall. While still active in F1, he would finish the 1958 season with a career-best 2nd place at the Dutch Grand Prix and four 5th place finishes. Harry Schell ends the season having earned 14 points toward the championship. In 1959 Schell competes at the United States of America Grand-Prix at Sebring in a Cooper T51 for his own Ecurie Blue team. 

Shell kept the team alive for the 1960 season that ended abruptly. Harry Schell was practicing for the BRDC International Trophy race at Silverstone. The circuit was damp, and he slid of the road, smashed into the wall, and broke his neck. 

Pictures courtesy unknown and Barcboys.com