The 90th edition of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans was distinguished above all by the fact that, after a two-year break, spectators were finally able to take part in the spectacle again in large numbers. The appreciative audience witnessed the duel between the Toyota GR010 Hybrid. After number 7 in 2021, number 8 was given the honour of giving the Japanese manufacturer its fifth victory at the Sarthe. Ryo Hirakawa won on his first appearance, while it was the third success of Brendon Hartley and, most importantly, the fourth of Sébastien Buemi, who has now matched the great Henri Pescarolo, Olivier Gendebien and Yannick Dalmas.
Jim Glickenhaus is to thank for another achievement this year. The American, who was fourth in his first appearance last year, has claimed the podium he always dreamed of. In the LMP2 class, it was Jota who put two cars on the podium in a very competitive class. The official Porsche 911 RSR-19 of Frédéric Makowiecki, Richard Lietz and Gianmaria Bruni will go down in history as the last winner of the GTE-Pro class so loved by the fans, but it was the last appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Aston Martin TF Sport had to beat Porsche to triumph in the GTE-Am class. In this yearbook, you will find hundreds of carefully selected photos and everything you need to know about the participants, rules and background of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022.
Thousands of pieces of curious information on drivers, constructors, layout, statistics, categories, milestones, nationalities, regulations, are provided in this fun book, set in chronological order from the initial race, in 1923, until the present time. The book is illustrated with photographs of some of the most representative cars that raced in the event. It is written in easy to read English, so it can be understood even by people who are not fluent English speakers. All the players, and many obscure drivers and constructors are featured: Ferrari, Jaguar, Bentley, Toyota, Audi, Matra-Simca, Porsche, Ford, Aston Martin, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Chenard et Walcker, Lorraine Dietrich, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Rondeau, Gordini, Jacky Ickx, Tom Kristensen, Phil Hill, Woolf Barnato, Derek Bell, Bob Wollek, Yannick Dalmas, Frank Biela, Sebastien Buemi, Brice McLaren, Chris Amon, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Olivier Gendebien, Emanuele Pirro, Luigi Chinetti, Raymond Sommer, Tazio Nuvolari, Jean-Pierre Wimile, Hans Stuck, Hurley Haywood, Andre Lotterer, Gerard Larrousse, Graham Hill, Maurice Trintignant, Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss, etc.
The 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans
Complete coverage
600 photos
A pictorial review of the Museum of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including color photos of the main cars on display, with information on individual marques.
Complete participation history for all classes.
This is the official year book of the 86th Le Mans 24 Hours.
In 2018, Toyota the odds-on favourite came to the Sarthe to break its jinx and take on the Gods of Le Mans who, up till then, had always shown extreme cruelty by robbing the Japanese manufacturer of a triumph that seemed promised to it on several occasions, in particular: 1998, 1999, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Finally, the world no.1 car manufacturer broke the spell and emerged on top.
Toyota honoured its rank and scored its first victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours on its 20th attempt as a works team clinching a double into the bargain! The win went to Sébastien Buemi from Switzerland and Kazuki Nakajima from Japan, who had just missed out on victory two years earlier, backed up by double F1 world champion, Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, who was the star of this year’s race, added another jewel to the Triple Crown (victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Indy 500 and the Formula 1 World Championship title) that is the stuff of dreams.
But the three drivers had to really push as their teammates never gave them an inch. Completing the podium was Rebellion Racing and its star from the Vendée Thomas Laurent who had hit the headlines a year earlier by finishing second overall and first in LM P2. This year the no. 26 Oreca 07 dominated this category before being disqualified in post-race scrutineering gifting victory to the Signatech Matmut team and Nicolas Lapierre-André Negrao-Pierre Thiriet.
Back in the GTE Pro category after a 7-year hiatus BMW was unable to prevent the Porsche 911 RSR “Pink Pig” from winning the category thanks to Kevin Estre, Michael Christensen and Laurens Vanthoor. The Zuffenhausen firm also scooped the pool in GTE Am with the Proton Racing team co-owned by Patrick Dempsey with a little help from an 18-year-old French rookie called Julien Andlauer (remember this name).
With Rafael Nadal as starter and Jacky Ickx as Grand Marshal the latest staging of the greatest endurance race in the world was full of interest. Relive it through the many marvellous photos on display in this annual!
Official Yearbook of the Le Mans 24 Hour race
World-renown, the race 24 Hours of Le Mans draws competitors from France of course, but also throughout Europe, the USA, Japan, but also Venezuela, China, Brazil. That’s why the test is the cornerstone of the new World Endurance Championship FIA.
Since 1978, the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans, through the same editorial team, proposes to revive by the text but especially by the image but also the race preparations and fever that grips Prefecture Sarthe throughout the week prior to departure. All cars and drivers are presented. Preliminary tests at the explosion of joy after the checkered flag through the weighing, the parade of drivers and especially the highlights of each hour, nothing is missing.
For the more passionate, a technical chapter with tables and statistics finishes complete the set. And making use of recognized photographers, the atmosphere that continues to evolve between late afternoon, night and sunrise in a different setting from that of a traditional circuit is fully restored.
2010 Le Mans 24 Hours Official
2012 Le Mans 24 Hours Official
Anniversary edition: 90 Years!
The official book of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
English text
2013 Le Mans 24 Hours FRENCH
It would seem everything has been said and written about the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the history, starting with the first race in 1923.
No previous work has explored the personalities that have shaped the legendary race. Engineers, designers and – of course – drivers, these individuals are as much a part of the story as the cars.
Indeed, the race is an environment for collaboration and exchange of professional and human experience.In this context the contribution of different stakeholders provides a universal scale in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The birth of the race was made possible by an elite group consisting of individuals who have a direct or indirect role in the automotive industry. These famous and influential men give a special luster to the event.
In the second chapter of the book, the author emphasizes the role of engineers who take advantage of the event to experiment with new and innovative techniques, while artists, especially visual artists, find an opportunity to let free rein to their imagination in decorating the cars.
On the other hand, the enlightened and talented amateurs, called gentlemen-drivers, provide a unique panache to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Not to mention the contribution of anonymous backstage workers such ss volunteers, commissioners, tracks marshals and doctors.
Serge Bellu is an expert in design and automotive history, frequent contributor to several magazines and the author of several books including “Abarth – The Rebirth” and “500 extraordinary cars – The adventure of the concept car.”
“In collaboration with the ACO E.T.A.I enables you to relive the 2014 Le Mans-24 Hours in the 264 pages of this not-to-be-missed yearbook written by Jean-Marc Teissedre and Christian Moity illustrated by more than 600 photos.
The official Le Mans 24 Hours yearbook has been published every year since 1978, and it gives readers the opportunity to immerse themselves once again in the greatest endurance race in the world.
2014 will always be remembered as Year 1 of the major challenge launched by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest to the car manufacturers: use 30-per-cent less fuel while going as quickly as in 2013 without reducing the intensity of the battle. In addition to Audi and Toyota, this challenge was taken up by Porsche as the German manufacturer returned to the blue riband category in the 82nd Le Mans 24 Hours.
In the early stages of the race the two Toyotas dominated the Audis, the reigning winners, an unexpected turn of events given the number of victories racked up by the Ingolstadt make in previous years.
After a series of incidents and accidents the no. 8 Toyota dropped down the time sheets and then fought its way back up to third place. In the meantime the no. 7 TS040 dominated the race in front of the no. 2 Audi and the no. 20 Porsche. The Japanese car retired around 05h00 on Sunday morning after leading for almost 14 hours.
After a suspense-packed 24 hours victory went to the no. 2 Audi driven by Benoît Tréluyer, André Lotterer and Marcel Fässler. It was the German manufacturer’s fifth win on the bounce and the third by the trio.
Into second place came the no. 1 Audi of Tom Kristensen, Lucas Di Grassi and Marc Gené in front of the no. 8 Toyota in the hands of Nicolas Lapierre, Sébastien Buemi and Anthony Davidson. It was another historic double for the make with the four rings emblem. Victory went to Ferrari in the hotly-disputed LM GTE Pro category and in LM P2 the Jota Racing Zytek-Nissan emerged on top, while Aston Martin triumphed in LM GTE Am.
The official yearbook of the Le Mans 24 Hours 2014 tells the story in detail of all the stages of the race. It presents each car and its drivers and describes the unfolding of an event that’s unique in the world starting with scrutineering followed by official practice and the Drivers’ parade. It underlines the main incidents in each hour of the race before the explosion of joy of the drivers taking the chequered flag.
This richly-detailed book also has a chapter of technical analysis with tables and detailed statistics aimed at the most enthusiastic fans.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most famous car race in the world, and the venue has long since established itself as the Mecca of the sports car scene. Numerous brands established their sporting reputation here. A selection of the impressive racing cars is on display at the national car museum The Loh Collection in a special exhibition to mark the 100th anniversary of Le Mans. Jörg Walz has used this collection to describe “highlights”. The race, the people behind the successes (and failures) and the many different vehicles provide plenty of material for exciting and interesting stories. This book tells some of them and traces the lively history of this event steeped in tradition
COMING EARLY 2024
Nash-Healey – A Grand Alliance examines in exquisite and exacting detail the story behind America’s first postwar sports car and the unique Anglo-American partnership between Nash and Healey that gave it life, which became an international triumvirate with the later involvement of famed Italian coachbuilder Pinin Farina.
Focusing on the lives and careers of the men behind these fantastic machines, this book dives into their prior accomplishments, before reviewing the design and development of the Nash-Healey roadsters and coupes. It also explores the marque’s incredible competition record at iconic races like the Mille Miglia, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Alpine and Monte Carlo rallies. Lavishly illustrated with almost 1,200 images, most never before published, including several from Donald Healey’s own personal photographic collection, this book is essential for all Nash-Healey enthusiasts and fans of sports cars from the breed’s golden era.
- 2-volume set in slipcase
- 800 pages
- 1,192 illustrations
- Foreword by Donald Osborne
Bentley Speed 8 – Limited Edition
Motorsport Book of the Year Award 2023 (Royal Automobile Club)
Limited to 550 numbered copies
Exactly 20 years ago, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the sixth time. Just three years earlier, the project was born from within the brand. The later Bentley Motorsport Director Brian Gush secured the internal support of the corporate siblings VW and Audi and rolled out the Speed 8 project. There, where Bentley had established its motorsport heritage between 1924 and 1930, the aim was to revive the brand and make a clear statement. Already in the first year 2001 a small sensation was achieved with a podium finish, in 2003 the legendary double victory followed after intensive development and test work.
In this comprehensive book, former team members, engineers and drivers have their say and quite a few of them contributed their photos. Starting with wind tunnel tests, the construction of the eleven chassis, test drives and races, author Andrew Cotton covers the entire development and racing history of Bentley’s Le Mans winner of the modern era. In the course of his research he had access to all e-mails, documents and drawings of the team and he interviewed all important contemporary witnesses who were involved in the project. This standard work on perhaps one of the most beautifully designed sports cars of the modern era is rounded off with the chassis history of every Bentley Speed 8 built.
Hardcover in slipcase
Text in English
It was a reasonable success when in 1999 the first Audi R8 drove directly onto the stage in Le Mans. One year later it was the overall victory with a triumphant triple place. Up until 2016 the race cars with four rings got 12 more victories, making competitors tremble at the world’s hardest motor race. On occasion of the 100th anniversary of the legendary 24 hour race the text-and-picture book Audi in Le Mans undertakes an exciting journey into the past. Impressive pictures and loads of background knowledge from the company’s archives tell us about a piece of Audi history – with fresh eyes and full of suspense. All highlights, all successes: Audi Sport‘s spectacular success story at Le Mans Backgrounds, facts and stories on Audi models, drivers and races Audi race car in the flashlight: numerous photos from the company’s archives Thrilling car book with high-quality design: ideal gift for Audi fans and race enthusiasts Starting a new race car series is a challenge for car makers. The 24 hours of Le Mans are especially known as a severe endurance test for man and material. And Audi knew how to use the famous long-distance race as a stage for new technologies, all the while living up to their slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” (“leading by technology”): the fast and reliable Audi models left their competitors in the dust. Also, the first victory of a car with diesel-and-hybrid technology went to the German car brand. In more than 300 pages, this illustrated book depicts the impressive history of the brand from 1999 until the WEC exit in 2016.
In 1969, two of the most famous sports car manufacturers in the world, one German and one Italian, built what even today are considered the epitome of what a race car should be. The ensuing fight between the Porsche 917 and the Ferrari 512 S, driven to the limit by some of the sport’s greatest stars, has forever been regarded as a special two years in sports car racing, captivating a global audience and providing the storyline for Le Mans, an epic Hollywood film. The legendary Porsche vs. Ferrari duel started at the Daytona International Speedway in January 1970, and although the battle lasted less than two years, ending at Watkins Glen in the summer of 1971, it left a trail of memories in its smoky wake. EIGHTY FOUR HOURS OF ENDURANCE captures many of those memories in a richly illustrated book that bundles together the six American rounds of the FIA World Championship for Makes in 1970 and 1971. Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen. 24, 12 and 6 hours in length. Times two. Featuring 520 photographs, 230 black & white and 290 color, and supplemented by detailed race reports, results and maps, you’re taken onto the high banks at Daytona, down the concrete runways of Sebring and around the short, fast Watkins Glen circuit in upstate New York. The drivers included on the 244 pages of the book are a veritable who’s who of 1970s motor racing—Andretti, Ickx, Redman, Siffert, Rodriguez, Elford, Gurney, Larrousse, Cevert, Oliver, Posey, Beltoise, to name a few. EIGHTY FOUR HOURS OF ENDURANCE takes you back to the grid, onto the track, into the pits, around the paddock and behind the scenes for a memorable ride through time.
