Early life 1881-1900:

Born 1881 July 26 and was brought up at La Croisille-sur-Briance, Haute-Vienne, Limoges, France and later in Burgundy, France in modest circumstances. His Father a horse trainer, was killed in a riding accident when Jean Chassagne was still young. He attended L’Ecole Professionnelle de St Leonard  de Noblat followed by the highly regarded L’Ecole des Arts et Métiers which was formative in his later life at the cutting edge of motorized racing.