1929
The Monaco Grand Prix goes back to the mid-twenties, after 35 year old Antony Noghes, and his friends had set up the Automobile Club de Monaco. Anthony Noghes, a wealthy cigarette manufacture who was well-connected with the Grimaldi's, proposed the creation of a Grand Prix which would take place on the streets of the Principality. He obtained the official support of Prince Louis II and when he presented his plans to Louis Chiron, the famous Monegasque racing driver expressed his enthusiasm. After some analysis, they realized that the topography of Monaco was well suited to setting up a race track.
On 14th April 1929, under the patronage of Prince Louis II, sixteen invited participants lined up to race for a prize of 100,000 francs in the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix. Eight of the cars entered were the nimble 2,262 cc Bugatti 35 B's which were well suited to the tight circuit. Philippe "Phi-Phi" Etancelin driving a Bugatti 35B and Rudolf "Rudi" Caracciola in a massive 7.1-litre Mercedes SSK were favorites to win. Etancelin had gained pole position by ballot and Caracciola was placed last but one. A mysterious Anglo-Frenchman called "Williams" was allowed to practice on Sunday morning in a privately-entered Bugatti Type 35B, painted in what was later to become famous as British racing green, he was allotted a place in the middle of the second row.
When the flag dropped at 1:30 pm it was the Bugatti's that led the field, although the cars were known to have poor brakes. When confronted about the lack of stopping power Ettore Bugatti said: "I build my cars to go, not stop" and go they did. Caracciola in the massive white Mercedes fought his way past the Bugatti's to the front on two occasions, only to fall back again after a four and a half minute plus pit stop for new tires on lap 51. After 100 laps it was the enigmatic "Williams", with his cap turned back to front, who crossed the finish line first.
William Grover Williams ('Williams') became a successful Bugatti works driver, and during WWII he spied for the British against the Nazis in France. He was arrested in Paris in 1943 and died in a concentration camp in 1945 a few weeks before the war ended.
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired |
| 1 | 12 | W.Williams | Bugatti T35B | 100 | 3h56m11.0 |
| 2 | 18 | Georges Bouriano | Bugatti T35C | 100 | 3h57m28.8 |
| 3 | 34 | Rudolf Caracciola | Mercedes SSK | 100 | 3h58m33.6 |
| 4 | 14 | Georges Philippe | Bugatti T35C | 99 | - 1 lap |
| 5 | 28 | René Dreyfus | Bugatti T37A | 97 | - 3 laps |
| 6 | 4 | Philippe Etançelin | Bugatti T35C | 96 | - 4 laps |
| 7 | 30 | Mario Lepori | Bugatti T35C | 94 | - 6 laps |
| 8 | 32 | Michel Doré | Corre-La Licorne | 89 | - 11 laps |
| 9 | 24 | Lous Rigal | Alfa Romeo 6C | 87 | - 13 laps |
| DNF | 22 | Raoul de Rovin | Delage 15S8 | 80 | Accident |