the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrates its centenary

Gilles Baudouin’s house is a monument to the 24 Hours of Le Mans (Sarthe). Most impressive is its collection of miniature cars. “I have all the cars that won the 24 Hours (…) it’s a collection that grows month after month”, he says. Since he started his collection at the age of 10, he has entered 50 races. Each figurine is a keepsake. There are also rivalries: Ford – Ferrari, Jaguar – Mercedes.

Transmission from generation to generation

The history of Le Mans is also that of running starts, abandoned in the 1970s, and of the accidents which claimed the lives of 23 drivers. 24 hours of endurance to test the cars, this is the vocation of the race born in 1923, which is still the pride of Manceaux. “Everyone tells stories of the 24 Hours because there are connections (…) it is handed down from generation to generation”explains Fabrice Bourrigaud, museum director of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.