This Napier Grand Prix Tourer was built in 1908 for the French Grand Prix held in July 1908 in Dieppe Northern France. The French organisers, The Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France had changed some rules for the 1908 Grand prix and when this Napier entry arrived, the French protested against the car racing due to detachable wire wheels.
In 1909, the Napier had the sports body fitted by Regent Carriage Co., and was then sold to an American and shipped to USA.
The 1908 French Grand Prix went down in history with the honour of the first fatality in a Grand Prix race. Henri Cissac, driving a Panhard Levassor rolled his car after it lost a tyre, killing both himself and his riding mechanic.
