Musee des 24 Heures – La Sarthe

While visiting the much-vaunted Le Mans Classic event, we found themselves with a couple of hours to kill before the commencement of racing action so decided to take the opportunity to visit the circuit’s museum. It transpired to be an inspired decision – a rarity in itself. The museum was air conditioned, virtually deserted and had a decent dining area with all wares half the price of the stalls outside. What a chance to further immerse one’s self in the circuit’s rich history, while avoiding the rigeurs of the midday sun.

The museum, for those who have not already been, is predominantly focused on the history of racing at the famous Circuit de la Sarthe, but it also features exhibits illustrating a little general automotive history as well. There are some wonderful displays, particularly those featuring scale models. The cars inside vary from pre-war road-going commercial vehicles to a recent Pescarolo LMP1 weapon. All fascinating stuff and a very pleasing way to pass a couple of hours away from the heat of the midday sun. Perhaps the highlight for me was the Peugeot 905 Evolution 2.2 – now known as the Supercopter due to its wild (for the time) aerodynamics. This car and the awesome Allard J2X would look to have set the template for sports prototype aerodynamics moving forwards. Hard to believe it is over 15 years old now. A real privilege to finally see in the flesh.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *