The Nationales Automuseum’s first special exhibition revolved around the most famous car race in the world: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Heroes were born and tragedies mourned at the French endurance classic, where the most spectacular racing cars and the world’s best drivers compete.
Bentley and Jaguar, Ford and Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – these and many other brands have made motorsport history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The full-throttle sprint around the clock is the ultimate test of endurance for every racing car and every driver. Whoever crosses the finish line here can feel like a winner. Whoever wins here becomes a legend. The Nationales Automuseum celebrated the centenary of the race, which was first held in 1923, with the sensational special exhibition “100 years 24h Le Mans”. In addition to Le Mans winners such as the Bentley 4 ½ Litre, Jaguar C-Type and Porsche 917 and 956, other endurance icons such as the stunningly beautiful Ferrari 330 P3-412 and the only Mercedes-Benz CLR that was not destroyed in an accident were on display. Its sister cars took off due to aerodynamic problems and spectacularly left the track flying many meters high. Audi’s only Le Mans winning car in private ownership is also part of the Loh Collection: record holder Tom Kristensen secured his sixth of nine Le Mans victories in 2004 with the R8 of the Japanese Team Goh. The lead after 24 hours at full throttle was just 41 seconds.
