Salon Privé announced a new Le Mans category that will form an outstanding attraction for visitors when the event takes place at London’s Hurlingham Club on July 21-24, 2009.
“Le Mans holds a very special place in motorsport history and the cars that have starred there over the years are some of the finest purpose-built racing machines ever created”, says David Bagley of Salon Privé. “We have managed to gather some of the true Le Mans greats together for the event this year, and it is a great opportunity to see these cars at close quarters in the fantastic surroundings of the Hurlingham Club.”
Amongst the cars to feature in the category include a beautiful 1953 Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupe, which finished the great race that year 1st class and 13th overall, and which was also campaigned successfully 1954.
A highlight is sure to be the 1969 Gulf Oil Porsche 917, regarded by many as the ultimate sports prototype racing machine and which set a new bench mark for speed and performance that still resonates today. Amongst its numerous racing successes in the hands of names such as Rodriguez, Attwood, Bell and Oliver, this particular example of the 220 mph endurance racing legend also featured in Steve McQueen’s iconic movie ‘Le Mans’.
Salon Privé will also have one of only 25 Ferrari 512 BB LM race cars produced for endurance racing. The 1978 example on show competed in various high profile races and took part in both the 1979 and 1980 Le Mans 24 Hours. Capable of speeds in excess of 200mph, the 512 BB LM is sure to be a huge favorite with the Salon Privé visitors.
Jaguar returned to winning form in the 1980s with the XJR-9/12, a car which proved to become a dominant force within sports car racing at that time. Salon Privé is proud to feature chassis no. 1090, which with its distinctive Silk Cut livery won the race outright in 1990 in the hands of Brundle, Cobb, Neilsen and Salazar.
The 1990’s saw the introduction of the McLaren F1, a car that was not only the last word in road super car technology and performance but one of the few cars in the modern era that has enjoyed both road and race glory in equal measure. The GTR race version on display is commonly known as “The Harrods Car,”one of only five original race cars built by the factory in 1995. It won 5 of the 15 World Endurance Championship rounds contested in ’95 and ’96 and in the hands of Derek Bell and Andy Wallace led the 1995 race for 11 hours before a problem, which occurred just before the end, dropped it to 3rd place overall.
This year, in addition to the Le Mans greats, the Salon Privé Concours features five other categories including Aston Martin: Birth of the DB Series, Hall of Fame: Supercars of the ’70’s, Ferrari: Al Fresco, Grand Routier: The style & panache of the 1930’s & ’40’s and lastly American V8’s.
For more information, visit www.salonprivelondon.com.
[Source: Salon Prive]
