The 24 Hours of Le Mans began in 1923 when the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) created a new circuit to replace the Le Mans - Saint Calais - La Ferte Bernard loop that had previously been used for the French Grand Prix. From the very first running of the race, there has been a strong British presence, in fact the famous Bentley boys took the chequered flag no less than 5 times during the first 8 years. This laid the foundations for a healthy British racing pedigree at Le Mans and a fanatical following that haven't faltered to this day.

The biannual Le Mans Classic, much more laid back than the modern 24 hours, is an enthusiast’s dream with staggering grids of ex Le Mans racers. Think pre war Bentleys, Lagondas and Buggattis, think Jaguar C Type and D Type, think Aston Martin DBR1, Austin Healey 3000, Ferrari 250 GT, AC Cobra, Ford GT40, Lola T70, Porsche 917, Shelby 350GT, BMW CSL, BMW M1 and many, many more. The cars are divided into 6 ‘grids’ with each grid racing 3 times during a 24 hour period to ensure continuous action right through the night as is the custom in sports car racing.

GT40s are a common site at the LMC!