Major display at the London Classic Car Show pays homage to the most famous motor race in the world
Six significant sports racing cars from recent decades will form a key ‘Le Mans – The Icons’ display at January’s London Classic Car Show in Docklands (ExCeL, 8-11 January). The cars – from Ferrari, Ford, Porsche, McLaren, Bentley and Jaguar – will recall some epic duels from the famous 24 Hour race.
Each car has a genuine Le Mans history, with winners to the fore. The youngest car on display is the Bentley Speed 8 that won the gruelling race in 2003 in the hands of drivers Rinaldo Capello, Briton Guy Smith and the most successful Le Mans driver ever, nine times winner Tom Kristensen.
The battles between Porsche and Jaguar, which dominated the 1980s, are represented by two cars in their iconic battle dress: a Rothmans Porsche 962 and a Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9.
The 962 was the successor to the ultra-successful Porsche 956 and had a long winning career throughout the 1980s despite tough opposition from rivals such as Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota. A Rothmans 962 driven by Derek Bell, Hans Stuck and Al Holbert won Le Mans in 1986 and 1987 with Bell claiming no fewer than 21 endurance racing wins in the 962 in total.
Porsche dominated the decade at Le Mans, until 1988 when Jaguar finally broke the German company’s stranglehold on the race. Powered by a fearsome 7-litre V12 engine, the Silk Cut sponsored car driven by Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace finished the 24 Hours only just ahead of a Porsche 962. Jaguar won again two years later with Martin Brundle among the driving force this time.
Two decades earlier it was the turn of Ford to ‘own’ the great race. Piqued at not being able to buy Ferrari, then the dominant marque at the race, Henry Ford decided to build a car to beat the red racers. That car was the Ford GT40 which, after a false start, went on to claim wins in 1966, ’67, ’68 and ’69, with the last two of those wins claimed by the same GT40 (chassis number 1075) wearing the famous light blue and orange colours of Gulf.
Ford’s turn at the top marked the end of Ferrari’s reign in France, though the company did try to resurrect past glories with the 512S. It was not hugely successful but still managed to claim an important part of Le Mans history by starring in the film of the same name.
After racing the car in the 24 Hours in 1970, Derek Bell (that man again!) was hired to drive the same car for the Steve McQueen movie, but the car was burnt out during the filming. Pink Floyd drummer and classic car collector Nick Mason rebuilt it, however, and it is this very car that will be on display at the London Classic Car Show.
The final Le Mans legend is another hugely significant car, the BMW-powered McLaren F1 that, 20 years ago in 1995, became the last road legal car to win the great race. The car on show is the ‘Harrods’ car – sponsored by the famous London store – that finished third in ’95, driven by Andy Wallace and father and son Derek and Justin Bell.
“British fans flock over to France every year in their hundreds of thousands. A trip to ExCeL in January to see our evocative Le Mans – The Icons display is a must for all of them and will give them a quick fix before booking their crossings for the 2015 race,” said show director Bas Bungish.
The London Classic Car Show is the latest creation from Brand Events, the company behind all-action car shows like Top Gear Live, and is full of innovative features. It promises to be unlike any classic car yet staged.
One such is The Grand Avenue, a motoring catwalk along which 40 classics – four from each decade of the 20th century – will be driven, transforming the show from static exhibition into a moving experience.
One of the show’s curators, Top Gear’s James May, will be revealing what he considers to be the Most Significant Car Of All Time while another curator, TV chef James Martin, will not only be displaying his private collection of classics but will also be running the James Martin Classic Café offering up ‘good, simple, grub’ to visitors.
The 60th anniversary of the dramatic Citroën DS will be celebrated with many examples of ‘The Goddess’ – as well as a first look at the new DS brand – on show, and there will also be displays from leading classic dealers and specialists.
Tickets are now available from the show website – www.thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk – where early bird discounts reduce the on-the-door standard entry price from £25 to just £22.
Also available are family and group tickets, premium entry packages and access to the exclusive Preview Evening on the opening night, Thursday 8th January. Premium Tickets, which have limited availability, will give visitors access to the premium enclosure with a view of The Grand Avenue’s turning circle, a drink and complimentary cloakroom plus a free copy of Octane magazine and the official event handbook.
