The famous endurance race stems from a chance meeting at the Paris car show between the Automobile Club de l’Ouest committee members and media mogul Charles Faroux, owner of L’Auto (which later became L’Equipe). Based on the results of a reader survey, Faroux suggested a competition designed to select the best car and fittings.

Le Mans was the chosen testing ground and the ACO set about obtaining the necessary permits to go ahead with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race to ascertain the durability of production cars, in May 1923. Acutely aware that authorisations hinged on the enforcement of regulations, the organiser was clear from the outset that competitors would be expected to abide by the rulebook. The ACO’s reputation as a stickler for fair-play goes back to its roots!

In the pre-war period, the main role of the pit marshal was to survey the number of laps between refuels and to check that the fuel tank filler met with requirements. In 1926, Peugeot driver André Boillot was disqualified for a broken windscreen support when he was leading the race. To the local crowd, the penalty seemed all the more severe for being inflicted on a Frenchman in a French car.

Strict they may be, but marshals are not cold-hearted. Pit official Géo Lefebvre had tears in his eyes as he broke the news to a British driver that he would be disqualified because he had overstepped the time limit for the last lap by 1 minute and 32 seconds. The driver tried sending his pretty wife to plead his cause in higher places, to no avail.

Photo: Pit marshals in white armbands assist the soon-to-be-victorious Bentley team