George Heath

0/0/1862 - 0/0/1943

Record updated

A native Long Islander, Heath prefered to live in Paris, France, where it is thought he ran a tailor's shop. In 1898 he drove in the 889-mile Paris-Amsterdam-Paris race in a Panhard finishing 13th, more than three hours and 46 minutes behind the winning Charron.

The following year he finished 6th in the 1,350-mille Tour de France at an average speed of 22.9 mph. Just nine cars completed the entire distance. He then came 4th in the Paris-Saint Malo race.

After several more good results he was given a works drive with Panhard in 1904 and that year won the Circuit des Ardennes and took his greatest victory, the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup.

In 1905 he finished 6th in the Eliminatoires Françaises de la Coupe Internationale and was 5th in the Circuit des Ardennes. He was back in the USA to defend his Vanderbilt Cup title finishing 2nd behind Victor Hemery. Heath would continue to race until 1909 but by that time Panhard was no longer the race winner it had been when the decade started.

1906 was a dissapointing year, 6th in the Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France, unclassified in the Vanderbilt Cup Race, he then retired on the first lap of the Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France.

Heath raced on until 1909 but by that time Panhard was no longer a race winner and Heath faded into obscurity.



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