Friday 19 June 2020

Today 54 years ago: Mini Marcos at Le Mans

On Sunday June 19, 1966 at 4:00 PM the Le Mans 24-hours race finished. One day earlier the race had started with a real drama unfolding itself in the next 24 hours on the La Sarthe racing track in France. That's 54 years ago at this very moment, but I don't have to tell you, do I..?

The Mini Marcos started the 24-hours race with headlight covers. They were taken off when it was getting darker and night was to fall
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Few people expected the little fibreglass-bodied car to last the opening laps that year, 
leave alone run on into the night
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

As car after car ran into trouble and dropped out, the raucous little Mini Marcos wailed on, 
becoming the only British car still running
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

This is the only picture that I have of the car finishing the race. Who has a better copy?
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Famous photograph: The Mini Marcos comes in at an incredible 15th overall. You can see it's 5 minutes past 4 on the clock if you look really well. Huge crowd at the back is centred around the three Ford GT40s that have become 1, 2 and 3
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

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