Alain de Cadenet
Encyclopedia
SPEED Channel
Speed , is a cable and satellite television network broadcast to various parts of North America, but primarily the United States...
and ESPN. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born de Cadenet has hosted many shows on SPEED, including Legends of Motorsport
Legends of Motorsport
Legends of Motorsport was a series of automotive documentaries aired by the former television channel Speedvision, which became the current Speed Channel.- Original Series :...
, as well as the network's coverage of the Goodwood
Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood Circuit is an historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The 2.4 mile circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely encircles Chichester/Goodwood Airport...
Festival of Speed. Currently, de Cadenet hosts Victory By Design
Victory by Design
Victory by Design is a series of documentary films produced in the 1990s and 2000s on the subject of famous racing automobile marques. The series began as a single film focused on Porsche, directed by award winning film-maker Tony Maylam, executive produced by Clive Pullan and hosted by former...
, in which he drives vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
race cars, and talks about their history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
.
Alain de Cadenet is the son of Maxine de Cadenet, a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the French Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
, and his wife Valerie. Alain made his reputation building and driving his own sports prototype
Sports prototype
A sports prototype, also referred to as simply a prototype, is a form of racing car that is used as a top category in sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars differ from street-legal and production-based racing cars that also compete in sports car racing.Prototype racing cars have...
s, taking on the full works factory teams and, at times, even beating them. In 1976 he finished 3rd overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. In 1980
1980 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1980 World Sportscar Championship season was the 28th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1980 World Championship for Makes which was contested as a series running under both Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and International Motor Sports...
, he won two rounds of the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
at the Monza 1000 kilometers
1000km Monza
The 1000 Kilometres of Monza is an endurance race mainly for sports cars held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.The "Coppa Inter-Europa" was first held in 1949, on the circuit. The race expanded to 1000 kilometres in 1954, and moved to the 10-kilometre circuit in 1956. The event was...
and Silverstone 6 hour events, with co-driver Desiré Wilson
Desiré Wilson
Desiré Randall Wilson is a former racing driver from South Africa, one of only five women to have competed in Formula One. She entered one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in 1980 with a non-works Williams FW07 prepared by Brands Hatch Racing, but failed to qualify...
. This was a major achievement in an era of increasing professionalism, when it was very difficult for privateers to defeat larger, better funded factory supported teams.
de Cadenet is also one of the most respected and accomplished racers of classic and vintage cars. He has owned and raced numerous historic automobiles, particularly Alfa Romeos. As the host of six episodes of Victory by Design, featuring classic marques, Alain has sampled a vast assortment of legendary, winning racing cars. In addition to his passion for cars, Alain is also an avid collector of motorcycles and aircraft, including a Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. For many years he was also a collector and authority on George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
stamps
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
, even advising the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
on their collection.
He is divorced from his wife Anna, but remains in contact with their children, Alexander and Amanda de Cadenet
Amanda de Cadenet
-Biography:De Cadenet is the daughter of racing car driver Alain de Cadenet. She began her career as a co-presenter for The Word, a late-night Channel 4 magazine show. She also co-hosted The Big Breakfast....
.
He has become well-known for a clip which surfaced on the Internet of him presenting a documentary on the Spitfire, in which a Spitfire makes an extremely low pass right over him, from behind: Spitfire low pass video