Libre (pronounced lib-rah (U) or lee-bra (non-U))
(1) Of or relating to
free will; independent & unconstrained (now rare).
(2) Of software with few
limitations on distribution and including access source code with a right
granted to modify and distribute changed versions, usually with the limitation
that this must be on a free-of-charge basis.
(3) As Formula Libre (historically Formule Libre), a category of motorsport which imposes only minimal safety rules and is otherwise unregulated.
(4) In historic use, a
free (ie not enslaved) black person living in a territory under the
administration of the French or Spanish-colonial empires, the use most
institutionalized in New Orleans.
1700s: From the French or Spanish libre (at liberty, free; clear, free, vacant; free, without obligation), from the Latin līber (free; unrestricted (and related to librum (book)), from the Old Latin loeber, from the Proto-Italic louðeros, from the primitive Indo-European hlewderos, from hlewd- (people). Etymologists speculate the currency the word attained in the English-speaking world was initially due more to influence from Spanish than French, the word in more common use in the former. The specific (though sometimes misleading) sense in software dates from the late twentieth century, more precise terms such as “open source”, “freeware”, “crippleware” & “freemium” actually more helpful. Libre is a noun, verb and adjective. Variations appear in many European languages (apart from those which directly borrowed libre) including the Alemannic German liiber, the Romanian liber and the thirteenth century Old Galician and Old Portuguese livre (in which libre co-existed). Because of the influence of Spanish colonialism, libre appears often in Filipino dialectical use where it has tended to replace the older gratis (free).
Libre was a popular element in many in French formations encapsulating concepts, some of which were adopted in English although that tendency has now faded. The phrases include un homme libre (literally “a free man” but used idiomatically in the sense of “an unmarried man”), la voie est libre (the way is clear), temps libre (free time), libre arbiter (free will), amour libre (free love (in the sense of the eradication of restrictive sexual mores) libre-échange (free trade), association libre (free association), à l'air libre (uncovered; in the open air (a pre-modern medical dogma which advocated not bandaging wounds), libre comme l'air (free as the air, synonymous with “free as a bird”)), nage libre (the freestyle stroke is swimming) & papier libre (a masculine noun for a piece of stationery not stamped or franked (ie without letterhead); it’s unrelated to newspapers etc distributed for free or without censorship). There were also constructions of Spanish origin including aire libre (the outdoors, fresh air), barra libre (open bar (ie no limit), comercio libre (free trade). libre de culpa (off the hook, ie blameless”), libremente (to do something in an unrestrained manner), radical libre (free radical in the technical sense from chemistry), saque libre (the free kick in football), tiempo libre (free time), libérrimo (most free, the superlative degree of libre) & libertad (a degree of freedom; latitude, leeway).
Two constructs were
adopted in English and added to the technical jargon of English. The morphème
libre in grammar indicates that which may be unattached from another
morpheme (the smallest meaningful element in a text string). Vers
libre (free verse, ie in poetry, lines of varying lengths) was borrowed by
English circa 1870. Originally, the
adoption reflected the technical meaning which was referenced against the French
alexandrin (alexandrine), a syllabic
poetic meter of twelve syllables (there were occasional deviations) with a
medial caesura dividing the line into two hemistichs (half-lines), each of six
syllables. The structure, the origins of
which can be traced to the twelfth century, was dominant in French poetry from
the seventeen to the nineteenth centuries, encouraging a host of imitators
around the continent and in the English-speaking world. However, what were claimed to be the
implications of free verse attracted the modernists who produced work which was
derided by many critics (professional and otherwise) as “no verse” and thus,
whatever the discernible structure, not exactly poetry and certainly not vers libre. Free verse works which however, which tended
either to ignore or parody the tradition of rhyme, did become a genre which
endures to this day and among literary theorists, there’s long been the
argument that in not relying on formalism (the technical constraint of rhyme)
works needed to be more adventurous and imaginative, the focus on meaning rather
than structure. Divisions between the
schools of poetry, although barely noticed by most of the population, continue
to this day.
Formula Libre
Formula libre is the
informal description of a motorsport category which, in its pure form, imposes
no regulations other safety standards and to permit competition between
vehicles which can be configured to widely different specifications, events are
often conducted on some sort of handicap basis.
The philosophy of formula libre is the antithesis of that of
motorsport’s governing body, the Fédération
Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA, the International Automobile
Federation) which began in the early twentieth century with the admirable aim
of encouraging competition in the quest for speed but, beginning in the 1960s, began to develop an obsession with slowing things down. The reasons for this have been debated and,
whether related or not to the change in emphasis, the FIA in recent decades has
morphed into a vast bureaucracy dedicated to (1) imposing category rules which
make cars as uninteresting as possible, (2) imposing conditions which require
event organizers to pay for increasing numbers of FIA staff to do things at the
events and (3) find reasons why fees have to be paid to the FIA. There may be some competition but the FIA are now probably world sport's dopiest regulatory body.
Motor racing in a recognizable form began in France in the 1880s, soon evolving from races between villages into formally organized events and by early the next century, was established as a popular spectator event, run sometimes on public roads (usually but not always closed to other traffic!) and increasingly, on circuits built expressly for the purpose, these have the advantage of being fenced, thus permitting an entry fee to be charged for those wishing to watch. The first race to be called a Grand Prix was held in France in 1906, conducted over two days on a road course in Le Mans, 65 miles (105 km) in length and the interest generated encouraged others; by the 1920s, Grand Prix were held in many countries although there was no linking championship, the rules varying from place to place, tweaked often to ensure the machines produced by local manufacturers might enjoy some advantage, a practice which long endured.
1929 Mercedes-Benz SSKL.
The FIA’s predessor, the Association
Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR, the International
Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs) began creating rules governing the
categories in motorsport just before the outbreak of hostilities in 1914,
specifying minimum & maximum weights, engine displacement and defining body
types but it was in the inter-war years that the first attempts were made to
impose universal rules. The rules were
created but many race organizers, seeking wider entry lists and more
spectacular racing, often declined to adopt them, instead preferring the less
restrictive “sports car” definition which attracted more manufacturers,
including those not in a position to produce pure racing cars which conformed
with the AIACR’s regulations.
Eventually, such was the resistance, the rules for Grand Prix racing were
in 1928 abandoned and the era known as Formule Libre began, exemplified by the big Mercedes-Benz SSKL, the
last of the road-cars used to win Grand Prix races but one which illustrated
the limitations of the approach; the next generation would have to be pure race
cars, a change which ushered in the age of regulation which lasts to this day.
1936 Auto-Union Type-C. Not used on the circuits, the twin-rear tyres were fitted for hill climbs in a partially successful attempt to tame the handling quirks induced by mounting the 6.0 litre (366 cubic inch) V16 behind the driver. Although a preview of the form open-wheel racing cars would begin to adopt in the late 1950s, the less adventurous Mercedes-Benz W125 with a front-mounted, 5.7 litre (346 cubic inch) straight-eight proved both more effective and easier to handle. Not until the 1980s would Formula One cars match the power of the German cars of the mid-1930s.
The structures of competition also become formalized. The number of Grand Prix had risen from five in 1927 to eighteen by 1934 and a manufacturers’ world championship had actually been awarded in 1925 although it consisted only of the Indianapolis 500, the Grand Prix of Europe, France & Italy. Interestingly, there was no drivers’ title and in Formula One, the FIA would not award the Constructors' Championship (initially the International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers) until 1958 although there had be an award for drivers since 1950, an evolution of the 1935-1939 European Drivers’ Championship, created with the agreement of the national federations. The memorable racing of the era was governed by rules and even then, the AIACR reacted against the increasing speeds which had been thought not possible under the 750 KG (1653 lb) maximum weight rule, creating in 1938 two classes (1) 4.5 litre (275 cubic inch) displacement un-supercharged & 3.0 litre (183 cubic inch) supercharged and (2) a 1.5 litre (92 cubic inch) supercharged voiturette class (informally known as formula two (Formula 1, 2, 3 etc would not be codified until the post-war years, the first Formula One race held in Italy in 1946).
Juan Manuel Fangio (1911-1995), BRM V16, in Formule Libre events in England, 1953: Silverstone (left) & Goodwood (right).
Development of the big aero-engines used in World War II meant there had been enormous advances in forced induction and it was clear a 4.5 litre, naturally aspirated engine would be uncompetitive against a 3.0 litre supercharged unit so the FIA (the AIACR had in 1947 been reorganized and renamed) in 1949 announced the seven round Grand Prix World Championship for Formula One drivers would in 1950 be held for 1.5 litre supercharged and 4.5 litre un-supercharged cars. However, a decline in the number of entries meant the championship was in 1952-1953 contested by Formula 2 cars which existed in greater numbers and this resurrected interest in Formule Libre; because dramatic machinery like the 4.5 litre Ferraris and the BRM V16 no longer had a championship to contest, they were instead entered in the handful of non-championship F1 races on offer and the more numerous Formule Libre events. During the 1950s, the Formule Libre race, often the last of the weekend, was regarded by many spectators as the highlight, the machinery almost always the fastest at the event.
The sprit of Formula Libre: Race driver Rod Coppins (1940-1983) with the open-stack exhaust system fitted to Chevrolet Corvette V8 in in the Mark II Ford Zephyr he campaigned in New Zealand's “All-comers racing saloon cars” category. The pipes protruding from the Zephyr’s bonnet (hood) were an efficient and weight-saving piece of engineering but were originally merely a Q&D (quick & dirty) solution, fabricated at short notice because the team didn't have time to produce a tuned-length exhaust system before an event. It worked so well it was decided to keep the system. Of course, wherever they could, the FIA outlawed open-stack exhausts because whenever they see something innovative, their instinct is to ban.
In the decades since, formule libre (now usually spelled formula libre) has never really gone away, (despite the best efforts of the humorless killjoys at the FIA), its spirit exemplified by the rule book for the Unlimited Division at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb: (1) Must meet all safety specifications & (2) No other restrictions; pure formula libre therefore and there have been competitions which went close such as the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (the Can-Am) for sports cars which specified only (1) Must meet all safety specifications, (2) enclosed wheels & (3) two seats (the last clause interpreted rather generously and most uncomfortably for any passenger). Notable also was the “Allcomer” category adopted for New Zealand’s saloon car championship in the 1960s which was for unlimited displacement touring cars and accommodated machinery as diverse as a 1956 Ford Customline powered by a Galaxie’s 427 cubic inch (7.0 litre) V8 (thus dubbed the Custaxie) and, more improbably still, the "Morarri", a hybrid concocted by placing a Morris Minor body atop a Ferrari chassis and powered by a Chevrolet V8. Many other bastard offspring were barely less extreme. After 1967, the Allcomer Saloons were banned and the championship was run under the FIA’s Group 5 regulations but while the category was well-supported, the cars lacked the visceral appeal of their wild predecessors so, in 1973, a locally concocted Schedule E was written which enabled the construction of things with something of the earlier flavor, proving things usually go better without the FIA.
Ferrari Tipo (type) 553 (1953) was a product of the rule book, the World Championship in 1952-1953 run under Formula Two regulations because it had become obvious there would not be a sufficient number of competitive Formula One entries and because of its then unusual bulging sides (to accommodate the twin fuel tanks), the 553 was known as the Squalo (shark), With the new 2.5 litre (750 cm3 if supercharged) Formula One world championship for 1954, Ferrari upgraded the 553 to conform, dubbing it Tipo 555 which featured bodywork which was longer and more voluptuous, the factory deciding the lines deserved the appellation Supersqualo (super shark). Untypically for a Ferrari, the Supersqualo was powered by an in-line, four-cylinder engine and the first built was 555/1 which appeared in four World Championship Grand Prix, it’s best finish a fourth place at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, June 1955.
First shown at the Earls Court Motor Show (one of the few highlights in gloomy, austere, post-war England) in London in 1948, the Morris Minor was a small economy car which remained in production until 1973. The early models (later dubbed "Lo-lites") had headlights installed on either side of the grill but these were too low to meet minimums height stipulations in many US states so Minors exported to North America had lights mounted higher, something which necessitated different fenders (front wings) a design which in 1951 was standardized for all production. Those produced after the change are known as "Hi-lites".
Obsolete by 1956, the factory sold the four 555s and chassis 555/1 ended up in the Antipodes where, fitted with a 3.5-litre 4-cylinder engine from the Ferrari 860 Monza sports car, successfully it was raced in Formula Libre in both Australia and New Zealand until, in February 1963, it was damaged in a event held on the then new Pukekohe circuit. The damage wasn’t severe and confined mostly to the bodywork and front suspension but, remarkable as it may now seem, the cost of repair would have exceeded what the Italian hot rod was then worth so it was consigned to a used-car lot in Auckland where it was cannibalized for parts, the engine, compact, light and powerful, re-purposed for used in a speed boat. The robust chassis however had obvious appeal and it was purchased by a racing driver who added a 327 cubic inch (5.3 litre) V8 from a Chevrolet Corvette and clothed the mix with the body of a 1950 Morris Minor, a task which proved remarkably simple because there was a difference of only 25 mm (1 inch) in the respective wheelbases. Thus began the latest (and most improbable) career of Ferrari chassis 555/1, this time in New Zealand’s “All-comers racing saloon cars” category, race organizers listing it in their race programmes variously as the “Morris-Chevrolet” or “Morris-Corvette” before universally it became known as the “Morrari”.
Ferrari 555/1 Supersqualo from the Bonhams catalogue.
It may have been just a wreck in 1963 but in subsequent decades Ferrari’s old race cars became valuable collectables so when the choice had to be made between restoring the 1950 Morris Minor or Supersqualo 555/1, it was not a difficult decision, During the 1970s, with the original chassis and bodywork restored, it was re-fitted with a period Ferrari 860 engine before it was restored to its original, 2.5 litre, Formula One specification. A familiar sight for decades at vintage Ferrari and other historic events, 555/1 is one of two known survivors of its type and as well as its history in Formule Libre and as the Morrari, when campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari in 1955, it was driven by two World Champions. Auctioned by Bonhams in their Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris sale on 6 February 2025, it realized €1.98 million (US$2.08 million).
The formula libre concept has clearly attracted the interest of the Fédération internationale de notation (Fina, the International Swimming Federation) which recently announced a ban on the participation of transgender women from elite female competition if they have experienced “…any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or before age twelve, whichever is later." Given the controversy, the announcement was not wholly unexpected and, although it sets Fina apart from federations affiliated with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), it won't be the only body to issue the sanction and already the International Rugby League (IRL) has imposed a similar ban. As something of a workaround designed somehow to combine inclusion and exclusion in the one policy, Fina undertook to create a working group to design an “open” category for trans women in “some events” as part of its new policy. Formula libra for women’s swimming therefore, a category in which women, trans- or cis-gender, could compete. Fina’s president, Dr Husain al-Musallam (b 1960) insisted “Fina will always welcome every athlete (and) the creation of an open category will mean that everybody has the opportunity to compete at an elite level. This has not been done before, so Fina will need to lead the way.” Whether a concept used for machines will be thought appropriate to apply to people remains to be seen.
The competing arguments
(fairness in competition vs DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)) can’t easily be resolved
and the use of the formula libre concept hasn’t been well received by many,
some trans activists suggesting it would be labelled a “freak show”. The idea has before
been floated, some genuinely interested in the maximum performance possible by
the human body suggesting it might be interesting if a competition was
established for athletes using performance-enhancing drugs. Unsurprisingly, that went nowhere but nor is the
“open class” idea new, the origin of competitive athletics in the modern age
actually organized as a formula libre style, open class, some track events once
scheduled on the basis of distance and anyone, male or female, was able to
enter. It was later that the women’s
category was created as “protected class” so they might enjoy fair competition,
something Fina claim is the basis of their exclusionary rule.
Both sides are now
assembling, selectively perhaps, the scientific research which supports their
respective positions and perhaps the most significant announcement was from the
Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (Fifa, the International Federation of Association Football)
which confirmed it was reviewing its gender eligibility regulations. Fifa issued a statement indicating they were
consulting with “…many stakeholders…
(and) should Fifa be asked to verify the
eligibility of a player before the new regulations will be in place, any such
case will be dealt with on a case‑by-case basis,
taking into account Fifa’s clear commitment to respect for human
rights.” Such is the international influence of Fifa
that it’s likely their position may become the default template for federations
everywhere not anxious to make targets of themselves.
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