Behind the famous expression “En voiture Simone!” hides a pioneer of female automobiles: Simone Louise des Forest, one of the first French women to obtain her driving license in 1929.
Born in 1910 in Royan into a wealthy family, Simone Louise des Forest developed a passion for cars at a very young age. At just 12 years old, she took the wheel for the first time alongside her uncle, a founding moment. Seven years later, at 19, she was one of the first women to obtain the “female capacity certificate”, the forerunner of our modern driving license. An achievement at a time when very few women dared to take up driving.
But Simone did not intend to stop there. In 1930, she launched herself into motor racing, an almost exclusively male environment at the time. For her first race, the La Baraque hill climb near Clermont-Ferrand, she was accompanied by her mother as a co-driver, who would support her in her passion. Numerous races and rallies across France and Europe followed.
Among her most notable feats of arms, we can mention her participation in the legendary Monte-Carlo Rally in 1934. With her friend Fernande Hustinx, they covered the impressive distance of 3772 km from Bucharest in Romania to Monaco, in difficult winter conditions. They finished 17th in the general classification and won the Ladies’ Cup. The following year, associated with Odette Siko, she finished 3rd in this same Ladies’ Cup.
Simone Louise des Forest and many others
In 1937, Simone took on a challenge of another kind. With three other renowned female drivers (Odette Siko, Hellé Nice and Claire Descollas), they tackled speed records on the Montlhéry autodrome. Despite a tense atmosphere between the drivers, the female quartet managed to break 25 world records, some of which still stand today!
During the Second World War, Simone put her driving skills to the service of the Red Cross by driving trucks. But as soon as the conflict was over, she resumed competition, notably participating in the French road championship. Admired by the greatest drivers of the time such as Fangio, she ended her career in 1957 at the age of 47, with the pride of never having had the slightest accident in nearly 30 years of racing.
But Simone des Forest did not disappear from the radar. In 1950, she was one of the first women to open her own driving school, which she ran for 25 years, passing on her passion to generations of students. At the same time, she obtained her civil aircraft pilot’s license.
It is therefore quite natural that her name has been associated with the famous expression “En voiture Simone!”. Although its short version was popularized by the host Guy Lux in the television show “Intervilles” in the 1960s, it actually existed well before in a longer form: “En voiture Simone, c’est toi qui conduite, c’est moi qui klaxonne!”. A direct reference to this pioneer with an extraordinary destiny.
Simone Louise des Forest passed away in 2004 at the age of 94, leaving behind an immense legacy. Through her tenacity and audacity, she paved the way for generations of women in the automotive world and beyond. More than a name, “Simone” has become a symbol of all those who take the wheel of their destiny.