Finally ! Vintage motorsport enthusiasts have been waiting for this moment for four long years: created in 2002 and organized every two years by Peter Auto, Le Mans Classic should have known its 10th edition in July 2020. But the health crisis has passed by. , resulting in successive postponements of the event. This time, for sure, the event will take place in a few days, from June 30 to July 3. More than 700 racing cars that have shone in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the past, 8,500 collector cars and hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected. This edition, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the competition, already has all the ingredients to be remembered.
Typical departure from Le Mans to reconnect with the racing cars and images of the 24 Hours of yesteryear. © DR-DPPI
For those who venerate suggestive automobile silhouettes and symphonies for engines in furious mode, Le Mans Classic is the appointment to check off as a priority on their agenda. Especially since the program concocted this year by Peter Auto has something to move enthusiasts. We should mention in particular the Endurance Racing Legends series bringing together GTs and prototypes from the years 1990-2000 and the 40th anniversary of the creation of Group C, symbolized by the legendary Porsche 956. According to specialists and purists, the races of the Group C represent the golden age of Endurance. We will be able to have confirmation of this this weekend with the announced presence of around fifty cars on the starting grid. Among them is the Mazda 787B, winner of the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first Japanese car to win the event, it became legendary thanks to its rotary engine. Its howl at almost 9,000 rpm on the Mulsanne straight marked everyone who saw (and heard) this Mazda driving more than 30 years ago.
Richard Mille RM 029 Automatic Le Mans Classic watch. Case middle in white Quartz TPT©, bezel in green Quartz TPT©. Skeletonized movement, Caliber RMAS7. Power reserve approximately 55 hours. Baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium. Water-resistant to 50 meters. © DR
Le Mans Classic, Endurance, Formula 1, Formula E, Princess Rally, Chantilly Arts competition
Divided into six grids made up of age groups, the cars take part in several rounds of around one hour throughout the weekend. © DR-DPPI
If the Ford GT 40, AC Cobra and other Porsche 911 are regulars at Le Mans Classic, many models are rarities to rediscover. This is the case with the Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport. Designed for Formula 1 seven decades ago, it was modified to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and remains to this day the only Grand Prix single-seater to have won the Le Mans event, in 1950, driven by Louis Rosier and his son. Jean Louis. To see and admire, more than ever, the Jaguar D-Type known in particular for having won the dramatic edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955. Note the presence this year at Le Mans Classic of a 1969 Ferrari 312 P (capable of to drive at 320 km/h thanks to its V12), of which only two examples remain in the world. Memories, again, with the 1981 Chevrolet Camaro IMSA GTO with spectacular bodywork. Or with the Peugeot 905 Evo 1 bis from 1992. “It’s a real childhood dream to drive it. Engine sound, aerodynamics, everything is amazing! It remained 100% original and no modifications were made,” explains its owner of six years, Erik Maris. Don’t think he’ll be treating his car like a museum piece this weekend: “In order to really appreciate the technical qualities of this prototype, you have to drive it fast. It must be taken to its technical limits. Without proper driving, the tires and brakes will not heat up and we would miss the very essence of a Peugeot 905 Evolution bis. That promises…
