24h Le Mans
If you're in town, 20 must-see crown jewel cars are still on display in the Centenary Exhibition at the 24 Hours Museum through Sunday 2 July ONLY!
The first model developed by the marque, produced from 1921 to 1928, the 3-Litre Sport made Bentley the first British constructor to win Le Mans (1924). Intrigued by its potential, Canadian John Duff had fielded the car in the first running of the race in 1923, finishing fourth along with fellow countryman Frank Clement, his co-winner the following year.
The victory convinced marque founder Walter Owen Bentley to form a racing team whose drivers would go on to make history as the Bentley Boys.
Winner of the first 24 Hours in 1923, Chenard & Walcker proved to be one of the first constructors to understand the race required a specific approach. The marque's "tank" is considered one of the very first cars to take into account the notion of air penetration. The science of aerodynamics would become over the years a key element in the design of all cars hoping for a good result at Le Mans.
A major symbol of the American luxury car, Cadillac made its mark on the 24 Hours at its very first outing. One of the two cars entered retained its original shape and the other earned the nickname "The Monster" with its surprising streamlined body designed by Howard Weyman, an engineer at the aircraft manufacturer Grumman. Le Monstre finished 11th with at the wheel Phil Walters and Briggs Cunningham. Thereafter, the latter became one of the great personalities of the revival of the 24 Hours of Le Mans thanks to the competitiveness and originality of his cars.
After meeting the heads of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest during the Paris Motor Show in 1950, Ferdinand Porsche agreed to field a car in the 24 Hours. On 23 June 1951, the 356 became the marque's first entrant to take the start in the race. Driven by French importer Auguste Veuillet and Le Mans native Edmond Mouche, it finished 20th overall and won its class. The duo reunited the following year, climbing to 11th place, and as we all know a great many successes followed...
Designed by aeronautics engineer Malcolm Sayer, the Type D combined aero finesse (namely via a "shark fin" on the cockpit extension) and the light nature of aluminium to enhance performance. The Type D definitively entered Jaguar into the Le Mans hall of fame with three consecutive wins: one with a hunter green car in 1955 and two others in the blue and white of Ecurie Ecosse in 1956 and 1957. The Type D also inspired a sports car now recognised as legendary, the Type E with a long bonnet borrowed from its glorious predecessor.
Presented in February 1962, the 250 GTO (for Gran Turismo Omologato) was an evolution of the 250 GT with aerodynamics improved by a plunging front bonnet and rear spoiler. That year, the car finished its rookie 24 Hours second and third before going on to earn three other top 5 places (2nd and 5th in 1963; 5th, 6th and 9th in 1964). The iconic racing number 24 owes its best result at Le Mans to the Ferrari 250 GTO (2nd in 1963). The car's track record and rarity (only about 30 exist in the world today) have earned it an exceptional cachet and rating. Their owners form the elite of Ferrari collectors.
After limiting the engine capacity of prototypes to 3 litres, the Sport class (5 litres) allowed the Ford GT40 to prolong its remarkable saga at the 24 Hours with two new wins in two unforgettable runnings of the race. In 1968, the 24 Hours was delayed until September due to socio-political unrest in France. In 1969, Jacky Ickx claimed the top step on the podium in the final lap after starting last in protest of the dangerous Le Mans-style start. The same chassis (#1075) won all of the above under the same colours, destined to become an integral part of the 24 Hours legend: the sky blue and orange of Gulf Oil.
Designed to comply with the Sport 5-litre regulations introduced in 1968, the Porsche 917 delivered a stunning performance for its rookie outing at Le Mans. With optimised aerodynamics the car proved unbeatable, winning Porsche's first two victories in 1970 and 1971. The latter year, the car even beat the distance record established by Ford in 1967 that remained in place until 2010. The short body version 917 was modified the same year to include fins at the end of the rear bonnet.
French carmaker Matra and racing legend Henri Pescarolo are forever linked after taking their rookie starts in the 24 Hours together in 1966 and winning three times in a row in 1972, 1973 and 1974, the only French manufacturer and French driver to do so in the history of the race. Matra is also known for the inimitable sound of its V12 engine first heard in 1968 and for another star driver on its roster: the Brit Graham Hill who is still the only driver to become a Formula 1 world champion (1962 and 1968) and triumph at the Indianapolis 500 (1966) and at Le Mans (1972).
The Porsche 936's outstanding achievements have earned it a prominent place in the history of the 24 Hours. In 1976, it became the first car to win the race with a turbo engine (which Porsche had been developing at Le Mans since 1974). Jacky Ickx owes half of his wins at the race to the 936, matching Olivier Gendebien's record of four in 1977 then setting his own in 1981, and scoring pole position twice with the car, in 1978 and 1981.
Renault-Alpine engaged in the first duel of the turbocharger era against Porsche from 1976 to 1978. The Renault-Alpine A442 took the pole at the 24 Hours in 1976 and 1977, and in 1978 topped the hourly timesheet from race start to finish. Gérard Larrousse, after winning as a driver for Matra in 1973 and 1974, claimed the top step on the podium in 1978 as a team owner, putting an end to the French dry spell since Tablot-Lago's victory in 1950.
The Porsche 956 pulled off a hat trick for its rookie appearance in the 24 Hours in 1982 and dominated the race for the first half of the 1980s with four consecutive wins: two for the factory team and two for Reinhold Joest's private outfit. In 1985, Joest gave Porsche a 10th victory, beating the record set by Ferrari in 1965. Jacky Ickx won for the sixth time in 1982, his third victory with Derek Bell, matching Olivier Gendebien and Phil Hill (the winningest driver line-up since 1962).
WM was a French constructor founded in 1976 that aimed in the late 1980s to beat the established speed record in the Mulsanne Straight set in 1971 by the Porsche 917 (386 kph). The marque surpassed the goal of reaching 400 kph (set by sporting director Ferdinand Piëche) on Saturday evening 11 June 1988. The record was officially recorded as 405 kph achieved by the WM P88 powered by a Peugeot engine and driven by Roger Dorchy. Though subsequently forced to retire with transmission problems, the car still made it into the record books at Le Mans.
From the outset of its involvement in the 24 Hours, Mazda asserted the uniqueness of its rotary engine. In 1991, the Japanese constructor fielded three 787 B prototypes to take on Sauber Mercedes, Jaguar, Peugeot and Porsche. Mazda took the lead in the race late Sunday morning, immediately causing Japanese TV stations to interrupt their regular programming and broadcast the race live. The 787 B secured the only win for a rotary engine (last allowed in the race in 1991) and Mazda remained the only Japanese marque to triumph at Le Mans until 2018.
Announced in autumn 1988, the 905 project was finalised at the 1991 24 Hours, culminating in back-to-back wins in 1992 and 1993 under the direction of Jean Todt, future president of the FIA (2009 to 2021). The first French constructor to win the race since Matra, Renault-Alpine and Rondeau, Peugeot owed its success to its naturally aspirated V10 engine, used in Formula 1 as well at that time. Among the drivers to reach the top step on the podium with Peugeot figured a Frenchman who would become an endurance racing superstar in the 1990s: Yannick Dalmas.
Recognised globally as one of Porsche's most well-known models, the 911 topped off its many class wins with an overall victory in 1998. The German marque celebrated its 50th anniversary at the height of the GT1 class against Toyota, Mercedes and McLaren, securing a 16th win at its "home away from home" (according to Wolfgang Porsche, the grandson of founder Ferdinand) thanks to an extreme version of its iconic roadster.
After entrusting its R8s to private or partner teams in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Audi's factory team made its return to Le Mans with a brand new prototype called the R10 TDI in reference to its engine technology (turbo, diesel and direct injection), earning three wins in a row. Thanks to Audi, and to Peugeot in 2009, the diesel remained unbeaten at the 24 Hours until 2014.
Audi clinched the first win at Le Mans for a hybrid prototype that combined a classic internal combustion engine with electric power, temporarily transforming the R18 e-tron quattro into a four-wheel drive. Tom Kristensen drove the car for his ninth win, and the trio Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer joined Olivier Gendebien/Phil Hill, Jacky Ickx/Derek Bell and Frank Biela/Tom Kristensen/Emanuele Pirro in the elite group of three-time winners.
First seen at Le Mans in 1985, Toyota came extremely close to victory at the race during the 1990s before embarking on a decade in Formula 1. In 2016, four years after the marque's return to the 24 Hours, the TS050 Hybrid finally made the marque's dreams come true when Kamui Kobayashi achieved the circuit record in 2017, Kazuki Nakajima became the first Japanese driver to win several times and five-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso won the race.
The grand 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary Exhibition offers a once in a lifetime look at 80 extraordinary racing cars (60 of which won the race), takes visitors through 100 years of motorsport history, details the evolution of the 24 Hours circuit and highlights records and major events that have made the race legendary.
For more info, head to the official 24 Hours Museum website.
