Marie Gicquel, edited by Romain Rouillard 06:29, June 12, 2022
Right next to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, which is currently hosting the 90th edition, is a museum of vintage cars that traces the history of the competition.
140 vehicles are nestled in this huge hangar and have all competed in the prestigious endurance event.
Beautiful toys with breathtaking prowess that make young and old dream.
This is how to define this museum of the 24 hours of Le Mans which adjoins the famous circuit on which the 90th edition is currently taking place.
Fabrice Bourrigaud, director of the establishment, admits it: he sometimes finds his child's soul while strolling between these cars.
Now retired, they are well pampered.
"We bring them back to the workshop from time to time to check the engine, the box. We are not in American-style restoration. We try to keep the cars with their trace of history", develops he on Europe 1.
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Behind these bodies reveals a story, a mythology, like this orange and blue Porsche, star of the race in 1971. "Porsche is the brand that has won the most Le Mans. It is also a car that we saw brought to the cinema by Hollywood, by Steve McQueen", he describes.
100 years of history
And sometimes, these four-wheeled works contain treasures, like this Toyota and its lucky charms.
"They are attached to a small piece of string on some electronic components of the car. There is this small bag with this writing in Japanese, gold, to protect the car. It did not go badly since she finished second “, smiles Fabrice Bourrigaud.
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100 years of history pass before the eyes with the shiny hoods of these vehicles.
From the torpedoes of the 20s, these convertible cars, equipped with a right-hand drive, to the victorious Toyota of 2020, there is something for everyone.