Eliška Junková
Encyclopedia
Eliška Junková born as Alžběta Pospíšilová and also known as Elizabeth Junek, is regarded as one of the greatest female drivers in Grand Prix motor racing
history.
, Moravia
, Austro-Hungarian empire, she was nicknamed "smisek" at an early age for her ever-present smile. Following the end of World War I
, when her native Bohemia
became part of the new republic of Czechoslovakia
, she found work in the Olomouc Bank thanks to her multilingual skills, honed through her desire to travel the world. It was here that she met Vincenc "Cenek" Junek, an ambitious young banker who shared her fascination with speed, and who would eventually become her husband.
, then Prague
, then abroad to France
and Gibraltar
, although bureaucracy prevented her travelling as far as North Africa
, London
or Ceylon, as had been her original intention. She returned to Paris
to be reunited with her love, who by this time had become wealthy enough to indulge his automotive passions.
Eliska later recalled "If he is going to be the love of my life, then I better learn to love these damned engines." But she too soon fell for the charms of sports cars of the time, especially Bugatti
s. They returned to Prague in 1922, where she took clandestine driving lessons to obtain her license. Meanwhile, Cenek had started racing in earnest. He won the Zbraslav-Jiloviste hillclimb in 1922, the year they finally married.
that same year, and then a Bugatti Type 30 which had previously been raced in the French Grand Prix
. Initially she served as riding mechanic to her husband, but a hand injury incurred during the war affected his ability to shift gears, and this afforded her the opportunity to take the wheel in his place. Eliska's first professional race was in 1923, at Cenek's side. The following year she raced by herself and at Lachotin-Tremosna won in the category of touring cars, becoming a national celebrity overnight. She then placed first at Zbraslav-Jiloviste in 1925, and the Juneks bought a second Bugatti to celebrate. By 1926, Eliska Junkova was good enough to compete in races throughout Europe against the best male drivers of the age. As she gained fame throughout Europe, garnering the nickname "Queen of the steering wheel" in the racing press of the day, Eliška was anglicized to Elizabeth.
In 1926, she was runner up in the Klausenpass hill climb in Switzerland
, and then competed in the Targa Florio
in Sicily
, a race where stamina was as necessary as speed due to the demands of the rough and often muddy course. But Eliska was a gifted technical driver, and she is often credited for being one of the first drivers to walk round a course before an event, noting landmarks and checking out the best line through the corners. Exploiting her diligent preparation, she was running in fourth place before she crashed out, garnering great respect from her contemporaries. Shortly thereafter, she won the two-liter sports car class at Nürburgring
, Germany
.
With her sights firmly set on winning the 1928 Targa Florio, she acquired a new Bugatti Type 35B
to enable her to be on an equal footing with the top male competitors. At the end of the first lap Junek was fourth behind the famous Louis Chiron
in his factory sponsored Bugatti, but on the second lap she took the lead. On the final lap she ran into trouble and ended up finishing fifth but still beat 25 other top drivers including the likes of Luigi Fagioli
, René Dreyfus
, Ernesto Maserati
and Tazio Nuvolari
.
himself gave her a new touring car for her journey to Ceylon
, and hired her to seek out new business opportunities in Asia
.
Eliska eventually found love again and remarried shortly after the Second World War. But from 1948 to 1964, the Communist authorities, disapproving of the high-flying, bourgeois lifestyle that "Elizabeth Junek" had lived, refused to allow her to travel abroad. Like Hellé Nice
, her great female counterpart from France, she was largely forgotten by the motor racing world. But she lived well into her nineties, long enough for the iron curtain
to fall and for the "queen of the steering wheel" to regain her position in automotive racing history. In 1989, at the age of 89 and against the advice of her doctor, she attended a Bugatti reunion in the United States as the guest of honor.
She died peacefully in Prague
, Czech Republic
in 1994, aged 93.
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
history.
Upbringing
The sixth of eight children born to a blacksmith in OlomoucOlomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Austro-Hungarian empire, she was nicknamed "smisek" at an early age for her ever-present smile. Following the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when her native Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
became part of the new republic of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, she found work in the Olomouc Bank thanks to her multilingual skills, honed through her desire to travel the world. It was here that she met Vincenc "Cenek" Junek, an ambitious young banker who shared her fascination with speed, and who would eventually become her husband.
Early passions
Work took her first to BrnoBrno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, then Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, then abroad to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, although bureaucracy prevented her travelling as far as North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
or Ceylon, as had been her original intention. She returned to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to be reunited with her love, who by this time had become wealthy enough to indulge his automotive passions.
Eliska later recalled "If he is going to be the love of my life, then I better learn to love these damned engines." But she too soon fell for the charms of sports cars of the time, especially Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
s. They returned to Prague in 1922, where she took clandestine driving lessons to obtain her license. Meanwhile, Cenek had started racing in earnest. He won the Zbraslav-Jiloviste hillclimb in 1922, the year they finally married.
Behind the wheel
They purchased a MercedesMercedes-Benz in motorsport
Throughout its long history, Mercedes-Benz has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including sportscar racing and rallying, and is currently active in Formula Three, DTM and Formula One.-Early history:...
that same year, and then a Bugatti Type 30 which had previously been raced in the French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
. Initially she served as riding mechanic to her husband, but a hand injury incurred during the war affected his ability to shift gears, and this afforded her the opportunity to take the wheel in his place. Eliska's first professional race was in 1923, at Cenek's side. The following year she raced by herself and at Lachotin-Tremosna won in the category of touring cars, becoming a national celebrity overnight. She then placed first at Zbraslav-Jiloviste in 1925, and the Juneks bought a second Bugatti to celebrate. By 1926, Eliska Junkova was good enough to compete in races throughout Europe against the best male drivers of the age. As she gained fame throughout Europe, garnering the nickname "Queen of the steering wheel" in the racing press of the day, Eliška was anglicized to Elizabeth.
In 1926, she was runner up in the Klausenpass hill climb in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and then competed in the Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, a race where stamina was as necessary as speed due to the demands of the rough and often muddy course. But Eliska was a gifted technical driver, and she is often credited for being one of the first drivers to walk round a course before an event, noting landmarks and checking out the best line through the corners. Exploiting her diligent preparation, she was running in fourth place before she crashed out, garnering great respect from her contemporaries. Shortly thereafter, she won the two-liter sports car class at Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
With her sights firmly set on winning the 1928 Targa Florio, she acquired a new Bugatti Type 35B
Bugatti Type 35
The Type 35 was the most successful of the Bugatti racing models. Its version of the Bugatti arch-shaped radiator that had evolved from the more architectural one of the Bugatti Type 13 Brescia, was to become the one that the marque is most known for though even in the ranks of the various Type 35s...
to enable her to be on an equal footing with the top male competitors. At the end of the first lap Junek was fourth behind the famous Louis Chiron
Louis Chiron
Louis Alexandre Chiron was a Grand Prix driver.-Career:As a teenager, Louis Chiron fell in love with cars and racing. He learned to drive at a young age and joined the Grand Prix circuit after World War I where he had been requisitioned from the artillery section to serve as a chauffeur...
in his factory sponsored Bugatti, but on the second lap she took the lead. On the final lap she ran into trouble and ended up finishing fifth but still beat 25 other top drivers including the likes of Luigi Fagioli
Luigi Fagioli
Luigi Fagioli , nicknamed "the Abruzzi robber", was an Italian motor racing driver.-Career:Born in the small city of Osimo, Ancona Province in the Marche region of central Italy, as a boy Luigi Fagioli was fascinated by the relatively new invention of the automobile and the ensuing racing...
, René Dreyfus
René Dreyfus
René Dreyfus was a French driver who raced automobiles for 14 years in the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden Era of Grand Prix motor racing.-Early life:...
, Ernesto Maserati
Ernesto Maserati
Ernesto Maserati was an Italian automotive engineer and racer, with Maserati of Modena since its inception in Bologna on 14 December 1914, together with his brothers Alfieri Maserati , Ettore Maserati, Bindo Maserati and others.Ernesto led the workshop during World War I, as his brothers joined...
and Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
.
Tragedy and later life
Back at Nürburgring in July 1928, she shared the driving with her husband at the German Grand Prix. Having just changed places with him, he went off course and was killed instantly. Junek was devastated — she gave up racing and sold her vehicles, and returned to her first passion of travelling. Ettore BugattiEttore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
himself gave her a new touring car for her journey to Ceylon
Dominion of Ceylon
The Dominion of Ceylon, known today as Sri Lanka, was a dominion, in the British Empire between 1948 and 1972. In 1948, British Ceylon was granted independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. In 1972, the Dominion of Ceylon became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka...
, and hired her to seek out new business opportunities in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Eliska eventually found love again and remarried shortly after the Second World War. But from 1948 to 1964, the Communist authorities, disapproving of the high-flying, bourgeois lifestyle that "Elizabeth Junek" had lived, refused to allow her to travel abroad. Like Hellé Nice
Hellé Nice
Hellé Nice was a model, dancer, and a Grand Prix motor racing driver.- Early life and fast lifestyle :...
, her great female counterpart from France, she was largely forgotten by the motor racing world. But she lived well into her nineties, long enough for the iron curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
to fall and for the "queen of the steering wheel" to regain her position in automotive racing history. In 1989, at the age of 89 and against the advice of her doctor, she attended a Bugatti reunion in the United States as the guest of honor.
She died peacefully in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
in 1994, aged 93.