A baker by trade, Hans Herrmann only ever wore Porsche colours in 14 Le Mans appearances between 1953 and 1970, helping to propel the German manufacturer’s rise in La Sarthe. He partnered Jean Behra in achieving the manufacturer’s first outright podium finish – and a class win – in 1958.

Jean Guichet on the other hand owned a boatyard in Marseille. He was the perfect incarnation of the businessman-cum-gentleman driver who raced for pleasure. He was, however, blessed with the talent to make him a works driver for one of the most legendary marques in motorsport history.

Guichet’s gallop to victory with the Prancing Horse

After failing to finish in each of his first three Le Mans appearances in 1956, 1957 (Gordini) and 1960 (Fiat Abarth), Jean Guichet began his Ferrari adventure in 1961, forging a largely successful three-year partnership with Pierre Noblet. The duo scored two successive class wins (1961 and ’62), finishing third and then second overall, but was forced to retire in 1963. “I enjoyed an excellent relationship with Enzo Ferrari,” the Marseille-born racer recalled. “I caught his eye because I raced the cars that I’d bought as a customer.” In 1964, he was awarded a seat as a works driver in a 275 P prototype shared with another skilled amateur – Nino Vaccarella, a school maths teacher from Palermo, Sicily. They won the race, setting a new distance record of 4,695 kilometres (at an average speed of 195 kph) into the bargain. It was the eighth of nine Le Mans wins by a Ferrari and the last one to date for the factory team. Unfortunately, mechanical trouble put paid to Guichet’s hopes the following three years (1965–67).

Herrmann, the Porsche trailblazer

Over the same period, Hans Herrmann recorded two top 10 positions (seventh in 1961 and ’62) before returning to Le Mans in 1966 with a fifth place, repeated the following year. It was around this time that Porsche moved up a gear under the leadership of Ferdinand Piëch, Ferry Porsche’s nephew, who had his sights firmly set on an overall win. In 1968, Herrmann’s co-driver Jo Siffert took pole position in their 908 but clutch failure ended their race very early. Herrmann teamed up with Gérard Larrousse the following year. Their 908 moved into the lead with just three hours to go, but the former baker from Stuttgart was overtaken on the last lap by Jacky Ickx. Fortune finally smiled on Herrmann in 1970 when he and British co-driver Richard Attwood managed to avoid the pitfalls caused by the atrocious weather conditions to bring the #23 Porsche 917K home in first place. However, Porsche’s maiden victory proved also to be Herrmann’s final race as he had vowed to his wife, albeit in jest, that he would end his career when he won Le Mans!

In 1969, when Herrmann was edged out by Ickx’s Ford GT40, Guichet finished fifth in a Matra prototype after resurrecting his partnership with Vaccarella. Six years later, Guichet’s final appearance at the 24 Hours saw him share the wheel of the very first BMW Art Car, a series initiated by the art dealer and gentleman driver Hervé Poulain, with American Sam Posey and Poulain himself. The car, decorated by Alexander Calder, failed to finish.

As the first of 19 driver line-ups to win outright at Le Mans for Porsche, Herrmann and Attwood are regularly invited to attend historical events for the marque, whereas Guichet was a member of the judging panel at the Chantilly Concours d’Elégance in 2016. For each of them, their solitary win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans constituted the high point of their career.

PHOTOS: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS – FROM TOP TO BOTTOM (© ACO ARCHIVES): Porsche’s maiden Le Mans win in 1970 with Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood at the wheel of a 917; Jean Guichet’s first podium with this Ferrari 250 GT in 1961; Herrmann (#64 Porsche) and Guichet (#32 Matra) both finish in the Top 5 at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans.