Photo : Jean-Philippe BOYER / ACO

 

During the course of three events, three cars of the 24 Hours will be elevated to the echelon of objets d’art for ten days – the length of exposition and auction.

Festival Automobile International (Hôtel des Invalides, January 29-February 2) – After aiding for a few days in the training of rescue teams responsible for extracting drivers in a race, the OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan « Art Car » will visit the International Automobile Festival in Paris as part of an exhibition of concept cars.  The car was decorated by French artist Fernando Costa with road signs as a base material.

Bonhams auction (Grand Palais, February 6) – Among the proposed lots is a Delage D 6, which was driven by Augustus Veuillet and Edmond Mouche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949.  They were forced to retire at the wheel of the French car in this edition, which marked the rebirth of the race after nine years of interruption due to World War II.  Two years later, they entered La Sarthe legend:  in 1951, they drove the first Porsche entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Artcurial auction (Rétromobile, February 7-8) – Passionate about contemporary art and pioneer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans "Art Cars", the auctioneer and gentleman-driver Hervé Poulain (with ten entries, as best result 6^th place in 1979 at the wheel of a BMW M1 decorated by Andy Warhol) could not fail to be included among the great rarities seen in La Sarthe.  Thus, the 2014 Artcurial auction offers a Maserati 150 S driven in the 1956 24 Hours by Louis Cornet and Robert Mougin.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translated by Rainier Ehrhardt

The 82^nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place June 14^th and 15^th  (ticket information).

Photo : LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY JUNE 22 2013, RACE.  The Morgan Nissan « Art Car » of OAK Racing celebrated the 90^th anniversaire of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.