The Le Mans 24-hour motor race is held annually in June in the French town Le Mans. The most remembered motor race in history is the 1955 Le Mans because of a crash between a Mercedes and an Austin-Healy sent Mercedes part into the crowd and killed 80 spectators. It was a titantic struggle between Britain and Germany, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz. Afterwards, the Swiss government banned all motor racing and Mercedes withdrew from racing for many year.
Video: 1955 LeMans crash
LeMans champions
| Year | Drivers | Make |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Mike Rockenfeller (GER)/Timo Bernhard (GER)/Romain Dumas (Spain) | Audi R15 TDI plus |
| 2009 | Marc Gene (Spain)/ David Brabham (Australia) / Alex Wurz (Austria) | Peugeot 908 DHi |
| 2008 | Rinaldo Capello (Italy) / Allan McNish (Scotland) / Tom Kristensen (DEN) |
Audi R10 diesel |
| 2007 | Frank Biela (GER) / Emanuele Pirro (ITA) / Marco Werner (GER) | Audi R10 diesel |
| 2006 | Frank Biela (GER) / Emanuele Pirro (ITA) / Marco Werner (GER) | Audi R10 diesel |
| 2005 | Tom KRISTENSEN (DEN) / J.J. LEHTO (FIN) / Marco WERNER (GER) | Audi R8 |
| 2004 | Seiji ARA (JAP) / Rinaldo CAPELLO (ITA) / Tom KRISTENSEN (DEN) | Audi R8 |
| 2003 | Rinaldo CAPELLO (ITA) / Tom KRISTENSEN (DEN) / Guy SMITH (GBR) | Bentley EXP Speed 8 |
| 2002 | Frank BIELA (GER) / Tom KRISTENSEN (DEN) / Emanuele PIRRO (ITA) | Audi R8 |
| 2001 | Frank BIELA (GER) / Tom KRISTENSEN (DEN) / Emanuele PIRRO (ITA) | Audi R8 |
| 2000 | Frank BIELA (GER) / Tom KRISTENSEN (DEN) / Emanuele PIRRO (ITA) | Audi R8 |
| 1999 | Yannick DALMAS (FRA) / Pierluigi MARTINI (ITA) / Joachim WINKELHOCK (GER) | BMW V12 LMR |
| 1998 | Laurent AIELLO (FRA) / Allan McNISH (GBR) / Stephane ORTELLI (FRA) | Porsche 911 GT1-98 |
| 1997 | Michele ALBORETO (ITA) / Stefan JOHANSSON (SWE) / Tom KRISTENSEN (DEN) | TWR Porsche WSC95 |
| 1996 | Davy JONES (USA) / Manuel REUTER (GER) / Alex WURZ (AUT) | Joest Porsche WSC95 |
| 1995 | Yannick DALMAS (FRA) / J.J. LEHTO (FIN) / Masanori SEKIYA (JAP) | McLaren F1 GTR |
| 1994 | Mauro BALDI (ITA) / Yannick DALMAS (FRA) / Hurley HAYWOOD (USA) | Dauer Porsche 962LM |
| 1993 | Christophe BOUCHUT (FRA) / Geoff BRABHAM (AUS) / Eric HELARY (FRA) | Peugeot 905B |
| 1992 | Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) / Yannick DALMAS (FRA) / Derek WARWICK (GBR) | Peugeot 905 |
| 1991 | Bertrand GACHOT (BEL) / Johnny HERBERT (GBR) / Volker WEIDLER (GER) | Mazda 787B |
| 1990 | Martin BRUNDLE (GBR) / Price COBB (USA) / John NIELSEN (DEN) | Jaguar XJR-12 |
| 1989 | Stanley DICKENS (SWE) / Jochen MASS (GER) / Manuel REUTER (GER) | Sauber Mercedes C9 |
| 1988 | Johnny DUMFRIES (SCO) / Jan LAMMERS (HOL) / Andy WALLACE (GBR) | Jaguar XJR-9LM |
| 1987 | Derek BELL (GBR) / Al HOLBERT (USA) / Hans-Joachim STUCK (GER) | Porsche 962C |
| 1986 | Derek BELL (GBR) / Al HOLBERT (USA) / Hans-Joachim STUCK (GER) | Porsche 962C |
| 1985 | Paolo BARILLA (ITA) / Klaus LUDWIG (GER) / John “WINTER” (GER) | Porsche 956B |
| 1984 | Klaus LUDWIG (GER) / Henri PESCAROLO (FRA) | Porsche 956B |
| 1983 | Hurley HAYWOOD (USA) / Al HOLBERT (USA) / Vern SCHUPPAN (AUS) | Porsche 956 |
| 1982 | Derek BELL (GBR) / Jacky ICKX (BEL) | Porsche 956 |
| 1981 | Derek BELL (GBR) / Jacky ICKX (BEL) | Porsche 936/81 |
| 1980 | Jean-Pierre JAUSSAUD (FRA) / Jean RONDEAU (FRA) | Rondeau 379B – Ford |
| Year | Drivers | Make |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Klaus LUDWIG (GER) / Bill WHITTINGTON (USA) / Don WHITTINGTON (USA) | Porsche 935-K3 |
| 1978 | Jean-Pierre JAUSSAUD (FRA) / Didier PIRONI (FRA) | Alpine A442B – Renault |
| 1977 | Jurgen BARTH (GER) / Hurley HAYWOOD (USA) / Jacky ICKX (BEL) | Porsche 936 |
| 1976 | Jacky ICKX (BEL) / Gijs van LENNEP (HOL) | Porsche 936 |
| 1975 | Derek BELL (GBR) / Jacky ICKX (BEL) | Mirage GR8 – Ford |
| 1974 | Gerard LARROUSSE (FRA) / Henri PESCAROLO (FRA) | Matra-Simca MS670B |
| 1973 | Gerard LARROUSSE (FRA) / Henri PESCAROLO (FRA) | Matra-Simca MS670B |
| 1972 | Graham HILL (GBR) / Henri PESCAROLO (FRA) | Matra-Simca MS670 |
| 1971 | Gijs van LENNEP (HOL) / Helmut MARKO (AUT) | Porsche 917K |
| 1970 | Richard ATTWOOD (GBR) / Hans HERMANN (GER) | Porsche 917K |
| 1969 | Jacky ICKX (BEL) / Jackie OLIVER (GBR) | Ford GT40 |
| 1968 | Lucien BIANCHI (BEL) / Pedro RODRIGUEZ (MEX) | Ford GT40 |
| 1967 | A.J. FOYT Jr. (USA) / Dan GURNEY (USA) | Ford GT Mk4 |
| 1966 | Chris AMON (NZL) / Bruce McLAREN (NZL) | Ford GT Mk2 |
| 1965 | Masten GREGORY (USA) / Jochen RINDT (AUT) | Ferrari 275LM |
| 1964 | Jean GUICHET (FRA) / Nino VACCARELLA (ITA) | Ferrari 275P |
| 1963 | Lorenzo BANDINI (ITA) / Ludovico SCARFIOTTI (ITA) | Ferrari 250P |
| 1962 | Olivier GENDEBIEN (BEL) / Phil HILL (USA) | Ferrari 330LM |
| 1961 | Olivier GENDEBIEN (BEL) / Phil HILL (USA) | Ferrari 250TR 61 |
| 1960 | Paul FRERE (BEL) / Olivier GENDEBIEN (BEL) | Ferrari 250TR 59/60 |
| 1959 | Roy SALVADORI (GBR) / Carroll SHELBY (USA) | Aston Martin DBR1 |
| 1958 | Olivier GENDEBIEN (BEL) / Phil HILL (USA) | Ferrari 250TR |
| 1957 | Ivor BUEB (GBR) / Ron FLOCKHART (GBR) | Jaguar D-type |
| 1956 | Ron FLOCKHART (GBR) / Ninian SANDERSON (GBR) | Jaguar D-type |
| 1955 | Ivor BUEB / Mike HAWTHORN (GBR) | Jaguar D-type |
| 1954 | Jose Froilan GONZALEZ (ARG) / Maurice TRINTIGNANT (FRA) | Ferrari 375 Plus |
| 1953 | Duncan HAMILTON (GBR) / Tony ROLT (GBR) | Jaguar C-type XK120C |
| 1952 | Hermann LANG (GER) / Fritz RIESS (GER) | Mercedes-Benz 300SL |
| 1951 | Peter WALKER (GBR) / Peter WHITEHEAD (GBR) | Jaguar C-type XK120 |
| 1950 | Jean-Louis ROSIER (FRA) / Louis ROSIER (FRA) | Talbot-Lago T26C-GS |
| 1949 | Luigi CHINETTI (ITA) / Lord SELSDON (GBR) | Ferrari 166MM |
| 1940-48 | no races | |
| 1939 | Pierre VEYRON (FRA) / Jean-Pierre WIMILLE (FRA) | Bugatti T57C |
| 1938 | Eugene CHABOUD (FRA) / Jean TREMOULET (FRA) | Delahaye 135 S |
| 1937 | Robert BENOIST (FRA) / Jean-Pierre WIMILLE (FRA) | Bugatti T57G |
| 1936 | no race | |
| 1935 | Luis FONTES (ARG) / John HINDMARSH (GBR) | Lagonda M45R Rapide |
| 1934 | Luigi CHINETTI (ITA) / Philippe ETANCELIN (FRA) | Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 |
| 1933 | Tazio NUVOLARI (ITA) / Raymond SOMMER (ITA) | Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 |
| 1932 | Luigi CHINETTI (ITA) / Raymond SOMMER (FRA) | Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 |
| 1931 | Tim BIRKIN (GBR) / Earl HOWE (GBR) | Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 |
| 1930 | Woolf BARNATO (GBR) / Glen KIDSTON (GBR) | Bentley Speed 6 |
| 1929 | Woolf BARNATO (GBR) / Tim BIRKIN (GBR) | Bentley Speed 6 |
| 1928 | Woolf BARNATO (GBR) / Bernard RUBIN (GBR) | Bentley 4.4 |
| 1927 | John BENJAFIELD (GBR) / Sammy DAVIS (GBR) | Bentley 3-litre Sport |
| 1926 | Robert BLOCH (FRA) / Andre ROSSIGNOL (FRA) | La Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 |
| 1925 | Gerard de COURCELLES (FRA) / Andre ROSSIGNOL (FRA) | La Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 |
| 1924 | Frank CLEMENT (GBR) / John DUFF (GBR) | Bentley 3-litre Sport |
| 1923 | Andre LAGACHE (FRA) / Rene LEONARD (FRA) | Chenard & Walcker Sport |
