Motor Sport Magazine Specials

The authoritative voice of motor racing since 1924 covers the entire motor racing scene. In these Special Editions, the team digs into the archives to give exclusive insight, rare photographic footage, detailed race reports, and a unique take on the subject matter; from world-class drivers through to iconic car marques, and also how some of these real-life stories have been adapted for the big screen.

WELCOME TO LE MANS LEGENDS

Motor Sport Magazine Specials

THE MEN • Le Mans is a place capable of both making and breaking heroes. It takes a special sort of character to push the limits of man and machinery to the limits, and often beyond. These are the stories of some who did just that

JACKY ICKX • He may be his own man, but Ickx doesn’t like discussing his own achievements, preferring instead to acknowledge the efforts of those around him. But all those Le Mans wins, those grand prix heroics in the wet – they can’t be ignored

BELGIUM’S GREATEST RACING DRIVER? • Ferrari’s finest sports car driver enjoyed remarkable success in his short career. Damien Smith examines the record of Olivier Gendebien

PLAYBOYS HEROES ARISTOCRATS • In 100 years of the Le Mans 24 Hours, few legends have proved as compelling as that of the Bentley Boys. Andrew Frankel tells the story of a largely amateur group of war veterans who took on the world’s greatest race with courage and determination – and against the odds

OLIVER GAVIN • After a Corvette crusade, the ‘lad from north Bedfordshire’ has tackled his final track… Or has he? He tells us of his F1 woes, an inspired shift to the US and whether Le Mans might tempt him back

HOW FERRARI FORGED ITS LEGEND • Ferrari’s 2023 return to Le Mans came 50 years after its last factory effort, and even longer since it dominated what was its most crucial race. Paul Fearnley looks back at the drivers who secured the glory

THE MACHINES • Across the last 100 years, the Le Mans 24 Hours has produced more jaw-dropping creations than any other car race. These are some of the finest mechanical marvels ever to tackle La Sarthe, and the stories of how they came to be

VENI, VIDI, 8C • Nuvolari and Sommer’s mighty Le Mans winner. ‘The flying Mantuan’ won the 1933 Le Mans 24 Hours race in this car. Jonathan Stein describes that victory, the machine’s history and how it feels to drive Tazio’s mount

SPIRIT OF LE MANS • Fifty years split the original Ford GT and the latest version, and both were created with one goal: to win the Le Mans 24 Hours. Andrew Frankel asks whether their shared history can bridge the passage of time

Triumphant comeback • Ford’s Le Mans return was nostalgic, and it marked it with victory against an old foe

RAIN TORRENTIAL. BIBLICAL. INCESSANT RAIN… • A Le Mans 24 Hours winner as recently as 2009, the Peugeot 908 HDI is now eligible for historic combat. But how will it cope in monsoon conditions?

AN AUDI WITH A ROOF? PUT A LID ON IT… • Bentley conquered Le Mans all over again in 2003 with this stunning Speed 8. Just don’t suggest it’s a German car in disguise…

R8 HOW AUDI MADE THE LEGENDARY CAR THAT BROUGHT LE MANS DOMINATION • It took five Le Mans 24 Hours victories and launched an era of single-manufacturer domination: the Audi R8 conquered endurance racing in the early 2000s, and Audi threw everything at its development

LAST OF THE BEHEMOTHS • Porsche amazed the racing world with this ‘production racer’. And after 20 years, Andrew Frankel finally got to drive it

The birth of a winner • Building 25 of these was a shock to the FIA – and to Porsche’s rivals

Celebrate Motor Sport’s centenary

THE MOMENTS • The history of Le Mans is littered with tales of bravery, ingenuity, triumph and tragedy. La Sarthe is a breeding ground for...