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Gilles
Duqueine in the VG4 in 1985.
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The Duqueine
brothers, Victor and Gilles, owned a manufacturing facility making high
tech components based in Villeurbanne in France. Their first cars were built
in 1978 for Formule Renault and their first F3 car followed the next
year. Success was not forthcoming and their next F3 chassis would be the
VG4 in 1984, they continued to manufacture cars up until 1987 when the lack
of any sustained success caused their withdrawal. Duqueine had many other
strings to their bow, they have also built monocoques for Ligier as well
as components for Renault, Group C sports cars and rally cars. In addition
they also work in a number of different industrial areas. |
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Bernard
Perroy in the VG3 in 1979.
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Another
shot of Bernard Perroy in the VG3.
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The VG3 was reminiscent
of the Martini F3 cars with its sculptured nose cone. It seemed to
have the appearance of a neat workmanlike chassis and apparently it
showed well at Magny Cours, but like so many cars of the late 1970s
they were left behind by ground effects technology. It seems that
only the single VG3 chassis was completed. |
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A
head-on view of the VG4, note the vestigial left-hand sidepod
required by the regulations.
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Philippe
Gache in his VG4.
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The VG4 consisted
of a composite chassis with pull rods at the front and rockers at
the rear meaning that the springs and dampers are inboard all round.
AP brakes were fitted front and rear. The whole car came in well below
the weight limit requiring 35kg of lead ballast.
The VG4 first saw the light of day at the end of 1984 at Ledenon in
the hands of Gilles Duqueine. The car continued into 1985 with Duqueine
picking up several top six finishes until a serious road accident
ended his career. Three cars were sold to customers for 1986 with
Philippe Gache in particular having several promising runs. |
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The
VG5 at its announcement.
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The VG5 appeared
to be a continuation of the earlier VG4 theme. Sadly results weren't
good at Duqueine withdrew from F3 to concentrate on their other projects. |
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Drivers |
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1979 |
Bernard
Perroy. |
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1984 |
Gilles
Duqueine. |
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1985 |
Gilles
Duqueine. |
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1986 |
Philippe
Gache, Philippe Goutard, Uko Katayama. |
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1987 |
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