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The legendary cars of Le Mans


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#1 Phil Rainford

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Posted 02 February 2013 - 11:33

http://http://www.au...e.php/id/105373

There will be some mouth watering cars on show in June :)


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#2 ewanarm

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Posted 02 February 2013 - 12:44

Have just seen this list and was wondering what people thought - does the list reflect the legendary cars of Le Mans?

#3 sterling49

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Posted 02 February 2013 - 12:49

No P4s included? Or Aston Martins and Renault Alpines or many of the others, I guess Joe Soap has a different viewpoint.

Edited by sterling49, 02 February 2013 - 12:53.


#4 D-Type

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Posted 02 February 2013 - 14:30

As I found the link didn't work and had to go there via the front page - here's the result:

LEGEND OF LE MANS VOTE WINNERS
1920s Bentley Speed 6
1930s Alfa Romeo 8C
1940s Ferrari 166MM
1950s Jaguar D-type
1960s Ford GT40
1970s Porsche 917K
1980s Porsche 956
1990s Mazda 787B and Peugeot 905
2000s Audi R10 TDI
2010s Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Given that the poll was based on one car per decade, it's difficult to fault any of the choices. As it's Le Mans rather than sports car racing, the choice of the D-Type for the fifties is justifiable; but had it been based on sports car racing as a whole, the choice would have to be a Ferrari - either the Testa Rossa or one of the big V12s from mid-decade. I suspect the shortlist was drawn from the overall winners - otherwise consistent class winners such as the Porsche RS, DB Panhard (class plus Index of Performance) and Lotus Elite (for its Index of Thermal Efficiency wins as well as dominating of its class) - or even the Aston Martin DB3S - would also be contenders for the 1950s.

Edit: Just to say I picked the fifties as an example and the same applies to other decades

Edited by D-Type, 04 February 2013 - 17:08.


#5 Tim Murray

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Posted 02 February 2013 - 14:56

Given that the poll was based on one car per decade, it's difficult to fault any of the choices.

I'm inclined to agree, although I think a Matra should have been the '70s representative. As there was only one race in the '40s, perhaps they could have lumped 1949 in with the '50s and then had an additional 'floating' award for the greatest car not already selected as a decade representative.

Edited by Tim Murray, 02 February 2013 - 14:57.


#6 David Wright

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Posted 02 February 2013 - 15:15

I'm inclined to agree, although I think a Matra should have been the '70s representative.


Porsche 917 vs Matra? I can't even remember the number of the Matra. A list of Le Mans legends without the 917? :)

#7 Tim Murray

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Posted 02 February 2013 - 15:46

A difficult call. I agree. The 917 is one of the most legendary racing cars ever, but as Duncan says, here the 'legend' criterion specifically applies to Le Mans, where the Matra MS670 won three times, the 917 twice.

Edited by Tim Murray, 02 February 2013 - 15:47.


#8 ewanarm

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Posted 04 February 2013 - 13:02

It is interesting that the panel chose two cars for the 1990s and only one for the 1970s. Although I agree that a Le Mans Legends list without the Porsche 917 would be wrong, considering it was very much a legend of the early 70s, they could have chosen the Matra as well to reflect its status during the decade.

#9 Allan Lupton

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Posted 04 February 2013 - 14:51

I'm no fan of lists like this, and therefore shouldn't join in really but. . .
For my money the 3 litre Bentley is more worthy of the "legendary" bit than the Speed Six. Both won twice, but Benjafield and Davis won in a car that covered most of the race in a barely roadworthy, let alone raceworthy, condition after the White House crash wheras the Speeds Six had normal races. Moreover a 3 litre ran in the inaugural Le Mans as a private entry and finished fifth

#10 arttidesco

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Posted 04 February 2013 - 15:41

i guess the 917K gets the nod for all the records broken in 1971, but I'm surprised the Matra 670 is not included, likewise why the R10TDi with three consecutive wins when the R8 did the same thing plus two more after the Bentley (its not a green Audi) interrupted things ?

While the light weight Mazda 787B ran a good race other than the novelty Wankel motor is there any reason why that was chosen ?



#11 Mallory Dan

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Posted 04 February 2013 - 15:59

What about the Porsche 911 and variants...

#12 Roger Clark

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Posted 05 February 2013 - 07:05

I'm no fan of lists like this, and therefore shouldn't join in really but. . .
For my money the 3 litre Bentley is more worthy of the "legendary" bit than the Speed Six. Both won twice, but Benjafield and Davis won in a car that covered most of the race in a barely roadworthy, let alone raceworthy, condition after the White House crash wheras the Speeds Six had normal races. Moreover a 3 litre ran in the inaugural Le Mans as a private entry and finished fifth

And one of the Speed Six wins was in 1930.

#13 Allan Lupton

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Posted 05 February 2013 - 08:37

And one of the Speed Six wins was in 1930.

A pedant he say that 1930 is the last year of the 1920s decade.

#14 Tim Murray

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Posted 05 February 2013 - 09:27

Debatable. In this case the poll was looking for the car of the 1920s, 1930s etc (see the list in Duncan's post 4) so it's reasonable to take the 1920s as running from 1920 to 1929.

#15 David McKinney

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Posted 05 February 2013 - 09:39

I agree with Allan, but take Tim's point :)

#16 JohnPackham

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Posted 05 February 2013 - 21:32

...2010s Audi R18 e-tron quattro

It's too early to say what is the great car of this decade.


#17 BRG

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Posted 06 February 2013 - 18:15

It's too early to say what is the great car of this decade.

Well, it won't be the Deltawing.

#18 Glengavel

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Posted 06 February 2013 - 21:02

What about the Porsche 911 and variants...


If I think of Porsche at Le Mans, the 917, 936 and 956/962 come to mind, and then I'm struggling. I know the 935 won, but I never really associate the 911 with Le Mans.