World War II in Europe left both victorious and vanquished countries devastated; yet within weeks of the end of hostilities on September 9, 1945, an automobile race was held in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne. This presentation addresses the questions: where did the financial and material resources for an active post-war racing program come from, and perhaps even more importantly, why were they expended in what many might regard as a non-essential- or perhaps even frivolous - activity?