During practice for the 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. In the race, Schell’s car broke after seven laps, while Varzi finished 2nd
Photo: Author’s Collection
Laury, Lucy O’Reilly and Harry Schell were father, mother and son. They were all larger than life characters who made their very distinct contribution to the colorful playboy image that some aspects of motor racing projected before the Second World War and immediately after it.
For the 1958 British Grand Prix at Silverstone Schell qualified 2nd and finished 5th in this BRM P25. Photo: Ferret Fotographics
At first, the main culprit was Lucy. She once announced that she wanted to be to France what Ferrari was to Italy! Her American husband, Laury, went along for the extremely eventful ride. Both were nuts about motor racing, but Lucy was the one who could do the most about it. She was the only child of an Irish-American multi-millionaire, and her father doted on her, so she had virtually unlimited resources.
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