Le Mans Classic 2018, Le Mans, France

The Le Mans Classic is one of those events I don’t want to miss, it’s got something about it. The journey to the circuit is worth doing in itself, it’s not like I need much of an excuse to drive into France…

Arriving at the circuit is quite something, there’s an air about the place, the noise, the endless amount of old cars and bikes and the famous clock overlooking the start flanked by huge grandstands. BMW 3.0 CSLs becoming a multi coloured blur as they rush past my camera. They sound fantastic, with the straight six winding its way up the rev range, if a little quieter than some.

The noise along the pit wall can be incredible, especially as the races get underway and there are a lot of cars bunched up.

It’s not just the circuit, the Le Mans village as they call it transforms into a world of themed displays, collections of cars, bikes and live entertainment.

The atmosphere continues into dusk, even with the crowds thinning in the night, there is still something about the place. Maybe it’s the lights, the glow and the way it looks different. Racing through the night in period with any of the machines would have been a spectacular challenge, with some parts of the circuit quite dark.

My favourite period would have to be 1966 – 1971, Ford GT40s and Porsche 917s. Even though I’m too young to have even seen it, it was the Steve McQueen film about the race that got me hooked. So to come across this was quite nice. If it was the real John Wyer Automotive 1970 Le Mans entry it would have been driven by Mike Hailwood and David Hobbs, distinctive with its orange roof.  Also recognisable from its role in the film (though Mcqueen’s car didn’t have the fully orange top), however, none of the three entries finished, unlike the fictional version. In 1970 the Brian Redmond and Jo Siffert car making half distance before an engine failure put an end to the team hopes. However, there probably hasn’t been a more iconic colour scheme.

The winning car was the works Porsche in red and white, with the 4.5L engine, the larger engine cars not finishing. Speaking of the works car…. This was stunning, but not the real thing. A beautifully crafted replica with a flat 6 engine.

If I could afford one I’d be going to see Allen Millyard to marry another flat 6 to it to make it a 12 cylinder. And I’d have it in Gulf colours of course to live out delusions of racing in the 1970 Le Mans…

The official displays were stunning and so were the race cars in the paddock. We had up close and personal access to some serious and rare hardware. From Porsche,

to Citroen with the fantastic SM V8

Jaguars, D and E types.

And getting close to the original 1969 Porsche 917, it’s hard to believe that this car is that old. It’s first outing nearly 50 years ago, this not only looked like it was from outer space but went like it too. Modern racers, as impressive as they are, don’t seem to convey the purposefulness of a 917.

The action on track was great, the racing becoming spread out over each of the races, so there is usually something going around in front of you. It’s hard to get closeups with my  camera, but it’s something that has to be seen in person.

The club displays are huge, with all sorts of fantastic machinery around, the working vehicles taking people around, or those that people have driven into the circuit. On site passes were quite expensive.

The Panhard 24CT coupe was lovely, not too many of them around and a superb 800 flat twin engine, not like the Citroën unit though.

Another car that caught my eye, again French which is appropriate, was a lovely Renault Monaquatre 8. I don’t think I’d seen one before, I like it and it’s got the same style of Rover’s P3, but comes from across the channel.

And at the opposite end of the spectrum was this stunning UK registered Lamborghini Countach. They’re apparently not the easiest car to drive, but someone has been using this one, all the better for it.

There is so much to see here, I’ve put a lot of it in the gallery, but one of the highlights is trips in vintage buses to Arnage corner.

Every two years seems too long, but then it gives me something to look forward to and enough time to fix a car to go in…

Simon