Death of Jacques Marché

Victim of a long illness, Jacques Marché passed away on July 22, at the age of 86. Driver and co-driver, this boss of a tiling company was Claude Laurent's teammate for more than twenty years in the world's biggest rallies, as well as in 24 Hours of Le Mans. The two people from Orléan met while competing in rallies in the early 1963s. Slower, Marché became the co-driver of his rival in 1965. After two seasons in a DKW Junior, from 1974 to 33 they formed one of the most emblematic couples in international rallies, at the wheel of the Daf 55 then XNUMX supplied by the Dutch factory.

We can no longer count the class victories they have won (more than 50), the small Dafs even allowing themselves to obtain good results overall, the most significant being the 3rd place obtained in the Rally Acropole 1969, derrière la Porsche 911 T de Pauli Toivonen et la Ford Escort de Roger Clark. Au palmarès de Laurent-Marché, figurent aussi une 9e place au Monte-Carlo 1966, une 8e au Maroc 1971 ou une 27e au Safari 1971. Après le retrait de Daf, le duo dispute la saison 1975 sur Citroën GS (13e au Monte-Carlo) avant de poursuivre durant quatre saisons sur Peugeot 104 ZS, Autobianchi A112 and VW Golf GTI, without obtaining as good results as during the glorious Daf period. In 1981 and 82, they shared the passenger compartment of a Peugeot 505 diesel, their career together ending with a 25th place in the 1983 Tour de Corse, in a Citroën Visa.

Alongside his journey as co-driver, Jacques Marché took up the wheel occasionally. At Monte-Carlo 1969, he replaced Laurent, unavailable following an accident, and was ranked 19th and winner of his class. In 1971, he finished 15th in the Ronde Cévenole on a Daf 555 prototype. Together, the two men competed in the Marathon de la Route, or 84 Hours of the Nürburgring (10th in 1966 and 1967 on Daf) and the Targa Florio (20th in 1968 on Porsche 911 T). They also have four joint participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1969, they brought their Porsche 911 T to 13th place (3rd GT). Unclassified in 1970 on a 911 S, then unqualified in 1971, they returned in 1972 on the Ligier JS2 of Martial Delalande. Forced to retire, they finished 19th the following year in the same car. Marché would return with Delalande and Max Cohen-Olivar in 1976, their De Tomaso Pantera failing to qualify. After which Jacques will drive the pace car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans for several years, during the launch lap.