90 Years at Le Mans Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1923

The first 24 Hours of Le Mans was held over the 26th and 27th May, 1923. 33 cars entered the race, which was originally organised to be one of three races held to complete the Rudge-Whitworth triennial cup.

The race, which was primarily participated in by French drivers in French cars, was won by Andre Legache and Rene Leonard, driving a Chenard et Walcker. The pair managed a total of 128 laps, covering a distance of just under 2210 kilometres, winning by 4 laps from the runners-up. In a surprising turn of reliability, only three teams were not classified as finishers after the 24 hours.

Answer: Woolf Barnato

Woolf Barnato was the first man to win the 24 Hour three times, and also win the race in three successive years. His first win was in 1928, which was also the year of his debut. Driving for Bentley, the company of which he was also a director, he won alongside Bernard Rubin, completing 154 laps.

His next win, in 1929, was alongside Henry Birkin, the pair leading home a Bentley 1-2-3-4, the British manufacturer dominating the race. Barnato and Birkin completed 174 laps, 7 more than the next car. His third and final win was in 1930, this time alongside Glen Kidson. The pair completed 179 laps, leading home a Bentley 1-2.

1930 would be the last Bentley victory at Le Mans for over half a century. The company was in financial difficulty, eventually purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931.

Answer: Workers Strike

33 cars were expected to participate in the 1936 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, with the election of the Popular Front after French elections, a general strike was called in May of 1936. This resulted in no workers being available to prepare the circuit for racing.

Therefore, the organised had no choice but to cancel the event. Apart from the war years, and 3 years of reconstruction afterwards, it is the only time in 90 years of Le Mans that the race was cancelled.

Answer: 5

After the success, but then demise, of Bentley in the 1930s, it was now up to Jaguar to represent British interests in the 1950s. Jaguars were privately entered before 1951, the company deciding to enter works entries for the 1951 edition, racing the Jaguar XK-120C. Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead dominated the race in 1951, completing 267 laps, winning by 9 whole laps. More success followed in 1953, Tony Ralt and Duncan Hamilton winning with the Jaguar C-Type.

The Jaguar D-Type would then win three consecutive races. First, the disastrous 1955 race, with Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb, though their win was overshadowed by the deaths of over 80 spectators. Further wins followed in 1956 and 1957, the last win by Ron Flockhart and Ivor Bueb leading home a Jaguar 1-2-3-4-6. Jaguar pulled out of racing after 1957, though D-Types were raced in private hands with limited success for a few years afterwards.

Answer: Olivier Gendebien

Ferrari dominated Le Mans in the early 1960s. The 1960 race was won by Gendebien and Paul Frere, completing 314 laps, this actually being Gendebien's second win, after victory in 1958 with Phil Hill. As a show of dominance, Ferrari finished 1-2-4-5-6-7, only an Aston Martin in 3rd preventing a whitewash.

Gendebien and Hill took their second win together in 1961, leading home a Ferrari 1-2-3, the winning car beating the runner-up by 3 laps, and the third placed car by 16 laps. Gendebian and Hill won their third race as a pair, and Gendebien's third successive, in 1962, again leading home a Ferrari 1-2-3

Answer: GT40

Having originally trying to buy Ferrari, Ford instead decided to buy their own car, determined to beat the Italians at Le Mans. They built the iconic GT40 as the weapon to beat Ferrari, though their first foray in 1964 wasn't a successive, their three cars entered not seeing the chequered flag. 1965 wasn't any better, Ferrari winning for the sixth year in a row as all cars retired.

1966 was make or break. Ford has spent millions developing the GT40 with little success achieved. They simply had to win. Ford dominated the event, won by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, the New Zealand pair leading home a Ford 1-2-3. Ford would win again with the GT40 in 1967, 1968 and 1969, their last win one of the most exciting in history, the Ford of Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver beating the Porsche of Hans Herrmann and Gerard Larrousse by only 120 metres, having completed 372 laps in 24 hours.

Answer: Hans Herrmann / Richard Attwood

Porsche left nothing to chance for the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans. 20 cars, of various make, were entered, by either the factory or privateers. Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood won the 1970 edition, the first outright victory for the marque. The win was particularly special for Herrmann, having raced in 13 events with no outright victory, finishing as runner-up by only 120 metres the previous year. Attwood would finish second for Porsche in 1971.

As for Herrmann, he had taken his crowning achievement. Keeping a promise he made to his wife, he retired at the end of the 1970 race.

Answer: Rondeau

Jean Rondeau was the first man to win Le Mans in a car constructed and bearing his own name (he was the second independent after Mirage won in 1975). Driving the Rondeau M379 alongside Jaussaud, the pair covered 338 laps, with a second Rondeau M379 also finished in third.

More success followed in 1981, with Rondeau cars finishing second and third. But with changing regulations, and increasing financial pressures, the team was disbanded at the end of 1983. Rondeau would be killed in a car accident in 1985, his place in Le Mans history assured and unlikely to ever be matched.

Answer: Mazda

Nissan and Toyota had competed at Le Mans prior to 1991, though their success was limited. Mazda had been competing at Le Mans for a number of years by 1991, but struggled against the likes of Porsche, Jaguar and Mercedes. Their rotary Wankel engine proved remarkably reliable, and drivers Volker Weidler, Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot completed 362 laps to take the first victory for a Japanese manufacturer at Le Mans.

It would be the only victory for a Japanese manufacturer in the first 90 years.

Answer: 2003

The Audi R8 dominated Le Mans from 2000-2005, winning all but the 2003 race. That was won by Team Bentley, with the Bentley Speed 8, their first win at Le Mans in over 70 years.

The Audi R10 TDI won the race in 2006, 2007 and 2008, their streak again broken in 2009, this time by Peugeot. An Audi R15 TDI plus won the 2010 edition, and an R18 TDI in 2011. An Audi R18 e-tron quattro would then win in 2012, 2013 and their final win in 2014 (the 91st year of Le Mans).