This year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrated its 100th anniversary. Le Mans Classic 2023 will be celebrating this exceptional anniversary and an immense legacy. The spectators who turned out on Thursday discovered a unique event in the paddocks, with six grids featuring emblematic models from 1923 to 1971, as well as the support races. For this 11th edition, the Benjafield's Racing Club is the new feature, bringing together more than 70 Bentleys from the interwar period. The Porsche brand, which has an impressive track record at La Sarthe (19 victories, the last of which came in 2017), is also represented by the Porsche Classic Race Le Mans grid, which features no fewer than 70 entries. For fans of prototypes from the 1980s and 1990s, Group C Racing brings together the best of this emblematic category. The Endurance Racing Legends series, which is sure to delight even the youngest fans, is the occasion to see GT1s, GT2s, LMP1s and LMP2s from the late 1990s to the early 2010s in action. Not forgetting the miniature replicas of “Little Big Mans”, which create a real bond between the generations. 

Thursday also sees the arrival of the various clubs that will be present throughout the weekend. Spread out all around the Bugatti Circuit, they impress not only by their number, but also by the quality and diversity ! 210 brand and multi-brand clubs from all over Europe will be coming to the Bugatti Circuit, with a total of 8,500 cars on show. An open-air museum that reflects the enthusiasm of collectors and fans to come together for an exceptional weekend. From the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and even the United States, people are converging to Le Mans, which for four days will be the scene of one of the world's largest gatherings of cars.

Thursday is also the opening day of the Village, a traditional meeting point for spectators since the 1920s. More than just a gathering of exhibitors, this is where the Le Mans Classic culture lives on. Between the various exhibitions of prestigious brands (Bentley, BMW, McLaren, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, De Tomaso...), the public strolls to soak up the retro atmosphere of Le Mans Classic, which continues right through to the various stands set up for catering.

Spectators can also take part in some of the craziest events of the year, including the famous Wall of Death Gypsy motorbike show and the Dust Trial Motor Show on the Musée bend. At the Le Mans 24 Hours Museum, the Great Centenary Exhibition, jointly organised by Peter Auto and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), features no fewer than 86 exceptional models, including 65 winners of the classic race. 

The festivities continue today with the parades and qualifying sessions for all the grids!