Titanic Grand Prix Battle

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.