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Elect the most iconic cars of 24 Hours of Le Mans

The election of the cars that have written the history of the greatest endurance race in the world was the first of the commemorative actions linked to the 90th anniversary of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The 2012 Le Mans winning Audi R18

The 2012 Le Mans winning Audi R18

Michel Jamin - ACO

The first part of the vote took place via Internet and the social networks, and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest put up prizes worth 6855 euros with 3750 euros going to the winner. The list of the prize winners is announced below.

On 3rd December 2012, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest asked all the lovers of motor sport to elect the ten cars that best symbolize the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours since 1923. Everybody could choose one car per decade from a list of thirty drawn up by the ACO.

Audi e-tron quattro, elected for actual decade.
Audi e-tron quattro, elected for actual decade.

Photo by: Michel Jamin - ACO

By 15th January 2013, the closing date for entries, more than 20 000 people had voted on the specially-created internet page that could be consulted via Facebook and Twitter. People from all over the world took part as proved by the first three winners: Daniel Berque from France, Stuart Beaton from England and Andrea Cesana from Italy.

In the second stage a jury of prestigious specialists presided over by Pierre Fillon, the President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, met in the headquarters of Rolex France on the morning of 1st February to finalize the selection. The vote of the public counted for one vote at this meeting.

During the press conference presenting the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours in the afternoon of Friday 1st February, President Fillon surrounded by the jury announced the list of the 11 cars elected – instead of ten – as for the 90s the Mazda 787B and the Peugeot 905 received the same number of votes!

After that ten surfers among those who had voted for the ten cars selected were designated in a draw under the supervision of a bailiff, Maître Degan from Le Mans.

Here are the winners of this competition with big prize money:

1st : Daniel Berque - Prizes worth 3570 euros. Two pitwalk passes for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, the complete collection of the Le Mans 24-Hours Yearbooks from 1978 to 2012 plus the book of the Le Mans 24 Hours 1949-1973, as well as the 2-volume set celebrating the centenary of the ACO, and two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

2nd: Stuart Beaton - Prizes worth 818 euros. A pitwalk pass for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, a track baptism on board a Pescarolo prototype (189 euros), an Alain Figaret Le Mans 24-Hours shirt plus two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

3rd: Andrea Cesana - Prizes worth 758 euros. A pitwalk pass for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, a track baptism on board a PSDS Porsche (129 euros) on the Bugatti circuit, an Alain Figaret Le Mans 24-Hours shirt plus two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

4th: Emmanuël Van Daele - Prizes worth 644 euros. Two general enclosure tickets for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, an Alain Figaret Le Mans 24-Hours ensemble (shirt/cap), a JRM bag and two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

5th: Bernad Vincenç - Prize worth 235 euros. Two general enclosure tickets, the 2012 Yearbook and DVD of the race, and two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

6th: Stéphane Thiriot - Prizes worth 166 euros. Two general enclosure tickets for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours plus two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

7th: Fabrice Crétin - Prizes worth 166 euros. Two general enclosure tickets for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours plus two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

8th: Mélanie Bastin - Prizes worth 166 euros. Two general enclosure tickets for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours plus two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

9th: Doc Bellows - Prizes worth 166 euros. Two general enclosure tickets for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours plus two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

10th: Denis Challes - Prizes worth 166 euros. Two general enclosure tickets for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours plus two invitations for the exhibition whose theme is the winning cars.

2013 Le Mans 24 Hours - Cars selected

The eleven most emblematic cars - as elected - from all four corners of the world will take part in multiple prestige operations up to the start of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours on 22-23 June.

The following cars that were elected (per decade)

  • 20s : Bentley Speed Six – 1929 (elected with 11 votes)
  • 30s: Alfa Romeo 8C – 1933 (elected with 7 votes)
  • 40s: Ferrari 166 MM – 1949 (elected with 13 votes)
  • 50s: Jaguar D – 1957 (elected with 8 votes)
  • 60s: Ford GT40 – 1969 (elected with 9 votes)
  • 70s: Porsche 917K – 1970 (elected with 8 votes)
  • 80s: Porsche 956 – 1982 (elected with 13 votes)
  • 90s: Dead heat Mazda 787B - 1991 / Peugeot 905 – 1992 (6 votes each)
  • 2000s: Audi R10 TDI – 2006 (elected with 10 votes)
  • 2010s : Audi e-tron quattro – 2012 (elected with 8 votes)

Presided over by Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the exceptional jury which sat at Rolex France on Friday 1st February consisted of the following members:

- Président : Pierre Fillon, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest President.

- Jean Todt, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) President.

- Sir Lindsay Owen Jones, President of the FIA Endurance Commission, three starts in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

- Yannick Dalmas, driver, 4-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

- Patrick Dempsey, actor/driver, one start in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

- Wolfgang Dürheimer, chief representative of motor sport for the Volkswagen Group.

- Hervé Guyomard, curator of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s heritage.

- Emanuele Pirro, driver, 5-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

- Rodolphe Rapetti, general heritage curator.

- Nobert Singer, chief engineer.

- Yojiro Terada, driver, thirty starts in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

- Gary Watkins, Autosport endurance correspondent.

The 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours - 90th anniversary

3rd round of the FIA World Endurance Championship

Dates: 22-23 June 2013
General enclosure tickets: 54 euros (ACO members), 71 Euros (non ACO members).
Free for young people born after 23rd June 1997 accompanied by an adult.
Test day: Sunday 9th June 2013.
Scrutineering: Sunday 16th and Monday 17th June.
Free practice and qualifying: Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th June.
Start of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours: Saturday 22nd June at 15h00.
Information and reservations: www.lemans.org
Facebook: 24 Heures du Mans – ACO Official
Twitter: @24hoursoflemans Hashtag : #24LM
WebTV : Lemans-tv.com

ACO

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