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Orion LM/001 1992 Cat.4 Le Mans entry ?


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#1 arttidesco

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Posted 12 June 2014 - 12:05

92_06_Orion_LM_001.jpg

 

Going through some pics from my last visit to Le Mans in 1992 I found this one.

At first I thought the car was a similarly Peugeot powered WR LM 92, but it
turns out to have been entered by Eric Bellefroid / Ren Car as an Orion LM/001.

None of the drivers Marc Alexander, Frank de Vita or Welter Breuer, like
the car, seem to have had any competition history before after the 1992
Le Mans 24 Hours.

The car only completed 78 laps, but is recorded as an unclassified runner.

Can anyone tell me anymore about the team, car and or drivers ?



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#2 Duc-Man

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Posted 12 June 2014 - 16:21

I never heard of ot before but it sure looks like a Peugeot 905 Spider. Believe it or not, Spark made a model of it.

 

4135.jpg

 

The only picture I found of it with the model on the base and a readable writing on it.

 

I'm looking forward to read this story.



#3 arttidesco

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Posted 12 June 2014 - 20:17

I never heard of ot before but it sure looks like a Peugeot 905 Spider. Believe it or not, Spark made a model of it.

 

4135.jpg

 

 

 

I'm looking forward to read this story.

 

Thanks Duc Man, a picture is emerging of a formula which encouraged different manufacturers to build chassis for a Peugeot supplied body which would be why the WR and Orion look the same on the outside, most chassis seem to have been built by Martini but it does not appear any of them were raced at Le Mans.

 

This might end up a post with more questions than answers unless I can make my Google French comprehensible  :lol: 



#4 fausto

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Posted 12 June 2014 - 21:16

can confirm arttidesco last post, chassis came from different manufacturers, IIRC Orion built, some years later, a Formula Renault chassis, that was raced also in the UK National championship



#5 Duc-Man

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Posted 13 June 2014 - 16:07

Well, my french is not existend and the google translation of the wikipedia article is pretty meh.

From my understanding: WR had the first chassis build and it were Orion, Van Diemen, Martini, Oreca, Mygale and Norma that build the (production?)chassis for the 905 Spiders with identical specs.

The Martini build chassis must have been the most succesful in this spider cup and the 'competition' gave up bit by bit.

I assume that Orion and WR just entered one of their cars to run in the 24 hours.



#6 Tim Murray

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Posted 13 June 2014 - 17:15

As I understand it, the entry for the 1992 Le Mans race was so poor that the organisers were forced to throw open the entry list to allow cars from the various national sports prototype championships to enter. This meant waiving the 120% qualifying rule as these cars were much slower than the 'big boys'.

This resulted in entries from teams competing in the Peugeot 905 Spider Cup (WR and Orion), the French C3 Alfa Romeo Championship and the Pro-Sport 3000 Championship. Presumably the Orion team (and drivers) stuck to their national championships after this event, although there was a class for these cars in the 1993 race.

#7 Arjan de Roos

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Posted 15 June 2014 - 15:38

It was indeed a poor year. I believe Marc Alexandre (note spelling) was the french judo champ that took on the challenge (similar to this years appearance of Barthez (former goalie) at Le Mans). 

Entrant Eric Bellefroid had a limited racing career, but his drivers even less. I guess for all a one-off.



#8 Arjan de Roos

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Posted 15 June 2014 - 20:13

I think the car is indeed a Peugeot Spider. Maybe (slightly) modified and rebadged Orion.



#9 arttidesco

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Posted 17 June 2014 - 23:18

Thanks to Frank, fausto, Tim and Arjan for pointing me in the direction of Orion :up:



#10 MUSTANG66

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 09:24

Hello

 

Several mistake about this car in this topic.

  

-Marc Alexander IS NOT Marc Alexandre.... http://www.autodiva....t=281&start=120  Before LM92 he has a past as Formula Ford and Formula Renault driver in French Championship

 

-The car is not a Peugeot BUT an Orion designed by Daniel Lentaigne... only the engine and the body shell was in period sold by Peugeot

 

-The car was named Ren-Car  (Renaud - Carmignon) for Le Mans, just because Orion did not want his name involved in the Le Mans race...

 

-Frank de Vita is a Lawyer from Nice

-Walter Breuer is a taylor (his shop is Rue de la Paix)

 

For more information about 905 Spider  look at here http://www.autodiva....c.php?f=2&t=170



#11 arttidesco

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Posted 05 July 2014 - 18:17

Thanks for your comments regarding the #66 Le Mans '92 entry mustang66 :up:

 

I am afraid I seem to be locked out of Autodiva, any chance you or anyone else on TNF can help me get back in ? :confused:



#12 MUSTANG66

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Posted 07 July 2014 - 14:29

???? just take another pseudo or maybe another email... i believe it is a bug !



#13 arttidesco

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Posted 07 July 2014 - 14:55

???? just take another pseudo or maybe another email... i believe it is a bug !

:up:



#14 Arjan de Roos

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Posted 08 July 2014 - 11:22

And then at Le Mans Classic you stumble upon the subject itself....

More infor on the car. Indeed not (fully) a Peugeot. And I stand corrected for the false Judo champ link, his name is spelled different on this car (Alexander). Model car makers or their decals makers are reknowned for mispelling names. Then the car does not bear an Orion name or badge, but Ren-Car, Peugeot engined.

 


qnc9.jpg
ueg5.jpg
t2du.jpg
hn46.jpg

Edited by Arjan de Roos, 08 July 2014 - 14:27.


#15 arttidesco

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Posted 09 July 2014 - 10:25

Thanks Arjan  :smoking:



#16 Herbert

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Posted 09 July 2014 - 11:12

BTW, does anyone have results and points standings from the Peugeot 905 Cup?



#17 MUSTANG66

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Posted 11 July 2014 - 07:31

hERE http://www.autodiva....c.php?f=2&t=170



#18 arttidesco

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Posted 13 July 2014 - 20:09

BTW, does anyone have results and points standings from the Peugeot 905 Cup?

 

Some stuff on the '92 season here.