Who was the first foreign-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500?

Jules Goux was the first foreign-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500.

The Frenchman won the 1913 race driving a Peugeot, becoming the first non-American and first European winner of the event. He led 138 of the 200 laps and finished more than 13 minutes ahead of Spencer Wishart, a margin that remains one of the most extraordinary in the race’s history.

Goux arrived with Peugeot’s European factory team during a period when the Indianapolis 500 was beginning to attract international competitors. His winning car used an advanced four-cylinder engine with twin overhead camshafts, technology that helped establish Peugeot as an innovative racing manufacturer.

The famous story that Goux drank six bottles of champagne during the race is generally considered exaggerated. Contemporary accounts indicate that he and riding mechanic Emil Begin shared smaller quantities during pit stops. Goux’s victory came only in the third Indianapolis 500, which had debuted in 1911.