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.
it
will be Audi vs Peugeot again at the front of the grid for
the forseeable future
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!
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