Antony Noghès
He transformed the winding streets of Monte Carlo into the most glamorous and treacherous stage in motorsport.
1890–1978 (age 88)·Founder of the Monaco Grand Prix·Birthday: September 13·The Lost Generation
Biography
Antony Noghès was a Monegasque sports official and automobile enthusiast whose vision permanently etched Monaco onto the global map. The son of a newspaper editor, he was deeply involved in the Automobile Club de Monaco. In 1929, frustrated by the lack of a major local race, Noghès conceived a daring plan: a Grand Prix on the city's actual public roads, a circuit of tight corners, elevation changes, and harbor-front straights. He navigated complex political and logistical hurdles to gain approval from Prince Louis II. The first race in 1929 was a spectacle of risk and prestige, an instant classic that defined the pinnacle of racing luxury and danger. Noghès's creation became the crown jewel of Formula One, a testament to his audacious belief that a race could be the soul of a city-state.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Antony was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Antony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
Antony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 50
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 60
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 70
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 80
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Died at 88
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
Key Achievements
- Conceived and organized the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.
- Successfully lobbied Prince Louis II and city authorities to approve a street circuit on Monte Carlo's roads.
- Served as the president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, which he helped establish as a major sporting authority.
- His circuit design remains largely unchanged, hosting one of the world's oldest and most famous motor races.
Did You Know?
The original race in 1929 was won by William Grover-Williams driving a Bugatti.
He was an accomplished tennis player and competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
His father, Alexandre Noghès, was the founder of the newspaper 'Le Journal de Monaco'.
“A race must be a challenge to the driver, not just to the engine.”
