At the 1932 Le Mans 24 Hours, young racing hopeful Raymond Sommer revealed himself to a formidable sprinter but also proved he had the stamina to remain at the wheel for over 20 hours. He fielded his own Alfa Romeo 8, the same model that won the race the year before. His car had a unique body by Italian coachbuilder Figoni. The sleek aerodynamics – streamlined wings and tail – distinguished it from the factory cars. The Alfa-Romeo was expertly prepared by fellow crew member Luigi Chinetti, who added a large fuel tank to avoid too many pit stops. Chinetti showed the way, briefly leading the field in the ninth hour and always in the top three. But he fell ill and handed over to Sommer who kept the pressure on, wearing down the rival Alfa Romeos. After totalling 20 hours at the wheel, Sommer claimed victory, marking the beginning of a successful career.

In 1933, he was teamed with Italian “Campionissimo” Tazio Nuvolari, reputedly the best driver of his time. Nuvolari was the first to realise that a controlled drift was faster on the corners than perfect grip. However, although the Italian was quick, he was used to Grand Prix racing and not cut out for sustained effort. He elected not to drive in the dark, which left Sommer to do the night shift. Undeterred, the Frenchman handed back the car to Nuvolari hot on the heels of Chinetti, who was chasing Chiron. A few hours later, after some magnificent last-lap drama Nuvolari beat Chinetti to the chequered flag by 401 metres. Sommer had also shaved 10 seconds off the lap record and to top it all, the car was the highest ranking in the Index of Performance classification.

In 1935, Sommer’s teammate declared forfeit on the morning of the race. The rules did not provide for replacement at such a late hour, but having already driven at Le Mans for 20 hours out of 24, Sommer set off to complete the whole race on his own. In the driving rain, he streaked ahead in the second lap, much to the delight off the crowd who adored the two-time winner’s panache. He led the field until a breakdown in the eighth hour put an end to his fabulous demonstration of driving skill.