“The 1950s and early 60s is, for many people, the most emotionally charged period of motor racing history – a genuine golden era, when the cars were not only beautiful, but also highly distinctive and instantly recognisable.”

So says Duncan Wiltshire of Motor Racing Legends. Hence spectators are likely to find next year’s Le Mans Legend historic support race at the Le Mans 24 Hours weekend – organised, as always, by Motor Racing Legends – a particular delight.

On Saturday 11 June 2011, a few hours before the start of the modern 24 Hours, the Le Mans Legend will see cars that were eligible for Le Mans from 1949 to 1965 take to the track for a 45-minute race. No doubt the field will include such evocative icons as Aston Martin DB2, C-type and D-type Jaguars and Austin-Healeys, alongside slightly younger machinery – front- and mid-engined Ferraris, Morgans, MGBs and much more. Motor Racing Legends has decided, however, that the grid will not include Ford GT40s – as their absence will help to ensure that the racing is ‘close and competitive’.

Wiltshire continues: “For spectators (and there are some 230,000 at the Le Mans weekend), next year’s Le Mans Legend is likely to be more enthralling than ever, as you don’t need a wealth of historical knowledge to get excited by the sight of a Ferrari 250LM or Jaguar D-type flat-out on a race track.” That’s true – but for those of us with a real interest in the history of the world’s greatest endurance race, the spectacle will be even more remarkable.

Further information can be found at www.motorracinglegends.com.

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Motor Racing Legends