Odette Siko finished fourth overall at Le Mans in 1932.
Driving a privately entered Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 SS with Louis Charavel, known by his racing alias “Sabipa,” Siko completed 167 laps. The pair also won the 1500–2000cc class, giving the result significance beyond the overall standings. Their Alfa finished one lap behind the third-placed Talbot of Brian Lewis and Tim Rose-Richards.
The 1932 race was won by Raymond Sommer and Luigi Chinetti in an Alfa Romeo 8C-2300. Two factory Alfa Romeos followed, while the Talbot took third. Siko’s smaller 2.0-litre Alfa therefore beat numerous larger and faster cars over the 24-hour contest.
This finish is sometimes misremembered as a class-only achievement, but Siko was fourth in the overall classification as well as first in her class. It was also the highest overall Le Mans result by a female driver, a record that has made the 1932 result a recurring landmark in the event’s history.