SS Normandie held the Blue Riband before RMS Queen Mary reclaimed it in 1936.
The French liner SS Normandie won the westbound Blue Riband in 1935 after recording an average speed of more than 29 knots on the Atlantic crossing. The informal award recognized the fastest passenger liner on the North Atlantic, although it was not a formal trophy administered by one permanent organization.
Normandie was notable for her streamlined profile, luxurious interiors, and advanced engineering. She used turbo-electric transmission, in which steam turbines generated electricity that powered the propulsion motors. Her large size and elegant interiors made her a symbol of French maritime design.
RMS Queen Mary took the record back in 1936, but Normandie regained it briefly in 1937. The two liners became famous rivals in the interwar Atlantic service. Normandie was later laid up in New York and destroyed by fire in 1942 while being converted for wartime use.