The 2018 edition of the Le Mans Classic once again broke all attendance and participation records. At the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, the organisers of the event, Peter Auto and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest with Richard Mille, the main partner, welcomed 135,000 spectators over three days, more than 700 vintage racing cars, 200 automobile clubs and 1,000 drivers of 30 different nationalities. An unquestionable success that has never ceased to grow since its first edition. There were all the ingredients to ensure that this motoring event was worthy of previous editions: radiant sunshine, 8,500 cars from 60 different manufacturers, celebrations of Porsche's 70th anniversary and the 40th anniversary of Alpine's victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Artcurial Motorcars auction and the Le Mans Heritage Club competition, which presented 24 models that have written the history of this legendary circuit. In addition to the traditional grids 1 to 6 and Group C, representing Le Mans cars that raced from 1923 to 1993, the Global Endurance Legends group introduced a new era at Le Mans Classic, that of GT1s and other LMP1s from the 1990s and 2000s. With this demonstration grid, the event has now extended the 24 Hours of Le Mans retrospective to 2016, featuring the famous Audi R8, Bentley Speed 8, Peugeot 908 HDI and more, such as the McLaren F1 and Maserati MC12. Richard Mille took the opportunity to invite some friends and partners, such as McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt, future Formula E driver Felipe Massa, WRX driver Sébastien Loeb and footballer Didier Drogba. The latter kicked off the Little Big Mans, the race for the very young drivers, on Saturday at 3.30 pm. About a hundred miniature replicas of endurance cars took to the track on the straight of the stands to the applause of the crowd. At 4 p.m. their adult colleagues from Grid 1, which groups pre-war cars (1923-1939), prepared for the official start of the 9th edition of Le Mans Classic. Sébastien Loeb and Felipe Massa waved the French flag together, kicking off the start of men and cars on the Le Mans circuit. Thus began the race for the six grids that was to end the following afternoon at the same time. The cars were the stars of the show, not only on the track, but also in the paddocks and the Le Mans village. While Artcurial Motorcars banged the hammer to close the sale of a Mercedes Roadster 300 SL at 3.1 million euros - a record price - the public was able to discover the preview presentation of the new book Car Racing 1965 volume 1, published by Éditions Cercle d'Art and the DPPI Images agency. This work brings together the unpublished archives of car racing photos on roads and circuits, captured in 1965, by the DPPI Images photo agency. Richard Mille also took this special occasion to present its new watch dedicated to racing, the RM 11-03 Le Mans Classic. A limited edition of 150 pieces in white ceramic equipped with the automatic RMAC3 calibre, with a flyback chronograph ready to literally knock down the times on the race track. In two years' time, everyone will be able to recapture the 'spirit of Le Mans' at the 2020 edition, which will mark the 10th anniversary of what is one of the world's greatest historic car events.
Results:
Best of Show: Toyota 94 HP (ACO)
1st of class 1923-1939: Adler Trumpf Rennlimousine (Alrika Allameh)
1st in the 1949-1960 class: Triumph TRS (Mike Otto)
1st in the 1961-1971 class: Sunbeam Alpine (Justin Harrington)
1st in the 1972-1981 class: Porsche 930 Turbo (Rolf Sigrist)
1st in the 1982-1991 class: WM Peugeot P88 (Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS)
1st in class 1992-2018: Toyota 94 hp (ACO)
F.F.V.E. Award: Tracta Gephi (ACO)
F.I.V.A. Award: Simca 8 (Pierre-Olivier Chazette)
Special prize 'Prime Minister': WM Peugeot P88 (Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS)
Special restoration prize: Ford GT40 (Eric de Caumont)
Special Jury Prize: DB Coach Gignoux (Guillaume Waegemaker)
The Concours des Clubs also distributed a number of awards, giving out the following prizes:
1st prize: Original Flat 4 Drivers Club (President: Rémi Dargegen)
2nd prize: Amicale Tricyclecariste de France (President: Frédéric Viginier)
3rd prize: Club 'Qui n'en veut' (President: Vincent Geslin)
F.F.V.E. Special Award: Historic Lotus Register (President: Charles Helps)
