German manufacturers and Ferrari battled for dominance in the first race of the season. Stars were created while fan favorites fell by the wayside. Not Australia 2007 but Tunisia – May 5, 1935. This quote is from the fabulous Autoweek:
Descriptions of the weather vary. One British report emphasized the heat; a French newspaper used the words un temps magnifique. Whichever, the atmosphere seemed more commercial than colonial, with the large checkered flag signaling the start and finish, raised and lowered by a fellow in a business suit. Spectators wearing jackets and ties concentrated in covered grandstands adorned with billboard-style advertisements stretched across their tops. Down front, dignitaries sat in a short row of gilt and tapestry-covered armchairs. The Bey of Tunis, wearing a big tasseled cap and pince-nez glasses, vied to be the center of attention next to the French resident general in a military uniform. A stone wall about four feet high between the track and the grandstand was crowded with standing spectators; those in the low grandstand had to stand to see over them.
That article written by Brooks T. Breierly. Thanks for the history lesson.
