The 2014 Le Mans Classic was held 4-6 July at the famed Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. Staged by Peter Auto in association with Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the seventh running of the biennial event battled on the same 13.629 kilometer Le Mans circuit run in the modern 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Plateau Four race for sports racing cars that competed at Le Mans from 1962 to 1965 saw an interesting and varied field of 75 entrants. This grid at Le Mans Classic 2014 showed the arrival en masse at Le Mans of cars made in the USA with several Shelby Cobra 289s, Ford GT40s and Shelby GT 350s.Among these were works GT40s entered at the time by the well-known Filipinetti squad and the unique GT40 roadster. Among the Cobra 289s, the crowd was able to see and hear the one driven by American Elliott Forbes-Robinson, winner of the 1997 and 1999 Daytona 24 Hours, as well as another in the hands of Michel Lecourt and Raymond Narac representing the IMSA Performance team, which has racked up an impressive string of results in modern endurance racing.
As was the case in the 1960s, the Americans were up against their European rivals starting with the Ferrari 250 LMs, the two of which were at Le Mans Classic this year including the car that won the 1965 Austrian Grand Prix in the hands of Jochen Rindt, and the other the 1964 Reims Grand Prix driven by Graham Hill. One of these 250 LMs was entrusted to Argentinean Luiz Perez Companc who has raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours several times. Also present were a number of Ferrari 275 GTB/Cs, an authentic ISO Grifo 3/C from 1963 with an impressive set of results, an Alpine A210 (1st in its class and in the Index of Performance in 1969), a rare Elva GT 160, all of which helped to add to the variety of this grid.
The first shower of the Le Mans Classic 2014 race weekend began to fall just before the start of the first heat for the 1962 to 1965 racing cars. The sky grew darker and darker and the fading light heralded the imminent arrival of darkness. In these difficult visibility conditions David Hart put on a dazzling performance taking the lead in his Ford Shelby Cobra from the horde of Ford GT40s. Just when it looked like the Dutch driver would win at the wheel of his big GT in a straight fight the race was neutralised because the Ferrari 250 LM of Luis Perez-Companc vomited all its oil on the Mulsanne straight. Things fell back into place in the second and third races in which the Fords scored a triple and a double with overall victory going to the GT40 driven by Hans Hugenholtz. Hervé Guyomard, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest historian, won the Index of Performance in a French car, the Rene Bonnet Aerodjet.
Similar to 2010 and 2012, Senior Photographer Tim Scott also documented Le Mans Classic 2014 with the following images that expertly capture the Grid / Plateau Four race for 1962 to 1965 Le Mans entrants. We split up Tim’s 261 pictures into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, all displayed in the full-width view of Sports Car Digest, while the second gallery and race results can be found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all the photographs. To see more from Tim, visit fluidimages.co.uk.
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race Featured Photo Gallery
1965 Ford GT401965 Ford GT40Shelby Cobra 2891964 Triumph Spitfire ‘ADU1B’ and 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘Breadvan’1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/CShelby Cobra 2891965 Ford GT40
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1965 Porsche 911 and 1966 Alpine A210Shelby Cobra 2891965 Porsche 911Race winning 1965 Ford GT40 of Hans Hugenholtz1965 Porsche 9111964 Porsche 904 GTS1962 MG BErickson Shirley’s 1959 Lister Chevrolet.1965 Porsche 9111964 Alfa Romeo TZ1962 TVR Grantura MK III1965 Alpine Renault M65Shelby Cobra 2891964 Lotus Elan1965 Marcos Mini1964 Porsche 9011965 Ford GT40Shelby Cobra 2891965 Ford GT40Rene Bonnet Aerodjet, winner of the Index of PerformanceShelby Cobra 289Race winning 1965 Ford GT40 of Hans Hugenholtz1964 Sunbeam Le Mans TigerMark Colbert’s 1962 Ferrari Lusso going into Laguna’s turn 9.1965 MG BRace winning 1965 Ford GT40 of Hans Hugenholtz1965 Alpine Renault M651965 Ford GT401964 Iso Grifo 3/CShelby Cobra 289 and Ferrari 275 GTB1963 Jaguar E-Type RoadsterShelby Cobra 289Shelby Cobra 289Ferrari 275 GTB1964 Porsche 904 GTS1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT1965 Ford GT401965 Ford GT401965 Ford GT40Shelby Cobra 2891964 Lotus ElanNed Spieker’s 1957 Maserati 200SI into Laguna’s turn 9.1964 Lotus Elan 26R Shapecraft1960 Austin Healey 3000 driven by Gary Black.1963 Jaguar E-Type FHC1965 Porsche 911Ferrari 275 GTB1964 Porsche 9011964 Lotus ElanRene Bonnet Aerodjet1964 Lotus Elan 26R Shapecraft and 1964 Shelby Cobra 2891964 Sunbeam Le Mans Tiger1964 Alfa Romeo TZ and 1965 Ford GT40Shelby Cobra 289Between Laguna’s 7 and 8. A2Z leads the 1968 Lola T140 driven by Bruce Sevier.1965 Ford GT40Ferrari 275 GTB1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT and 1965 Porsche 911Shelby Cobra 2891965 Ford GT401965 Ford GT401965 Ford GT401965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Main Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
1965 Ford GT40
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Ferrari 275 GTB
1966 Alpine A210
1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT
1965 Ford GT40
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Ferrari 275 GTB
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Porsche 911
1964 Porsche 901
1964 Porsche 901
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Porsche 911
1965 Marcos Mini
1964 Lotus Elan
1964 Lotus Elan
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Alpine Renault M65
1965 Porsche 911
1965 Porsche 911
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1962 TVR Grantura MK III
1965 Porsche 911
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Alfa Romeo TZ
Charles Nearburg – 1991 AAR/Toyota Eagle Mk lll GTP
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Porsche 911
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Ferrari 275 GTB
1964 Sunbeam Le Mans Tiger
Frank Altamura – 1966 Porsche 911S
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT and 1965 Porsche 911
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Ferrari 275 GTB
Ferrari 275 GTB
1964 Lotus Elan 26R Shapecraft and Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Ford GT40
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Ferrari 275 GTB
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
Ferrari 275 GTB
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Iso Grifo 3/C
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Porsche 911
1965 Ford GT40
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Alfa Romeo TZ and 1965 Ford GT40
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Sunbeam Le Mans Tiger
Shelby Cobra 289
1964 Lotus Elan 26R Shapecraft and 1964 Shelby Cobra 289
Rene Bonnet Aerodjet
1964 Lotus Elan
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Ferrari 275 GTB
1963 Cooper-Maserati T61P Monaco
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Ferrari 275 GTB
1966 Alpine A210
1965 Ford GT40
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT
1965 Ford GT40
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Porsche 911
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
1965 Ford GT40
Ferrari 275 GTB
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
Ferrari 275 GTB
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
Ferrari 275 GTB
1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
Pre-war Bugatti race at the 2014 Goodwood Members Meeting
1964 Iso Grifo 3/C
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1963 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Shelby Cobra 289 and Ferrari 275 GTB
1964 Iso Grifo 3/C
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Alpine Renault M65
Race winning 1965 Ford GT40 of Hans Hugenholtz
Ferrari 275 GTB
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 MG B
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
1964 Porsche 901
Shelby Cobra 289
Ferrari 275 GTB
Ferrari 275 GTB
1965 Porsche 911
1963 Jaguar E-Type FHC
1965 Ford GT40
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
1964 Lotus Elan 26R Shapecraft
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Lotus Elan
Shelby Cobra 289
1961 Morgan +4
1965 Ford GT40
1964 Sunbeam Le Mans Tiger
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Race winning 1965 Ford GT40 of Hans Hugenholtz
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Ford GT40
Rene Bonnet Aerodjet, winner of the Index of Performance
1965 Porsche 911
1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Ford GT40
Shelby Cobra 289
Ferrari 275 GTB
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Ford GT40
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘Breadvan’
Shelby Cobra 289
1965 Ford GT40
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
1962 MG B
Ferrari 275 GTB
Ferrari 275 GTB
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Ferrari 275 GTB
Ferrari 275 GTB
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1965 Ford GT40
1965 Porsche 911
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Ferrari 275 GTB
Shelby Cobra 289
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
1964 Sunbeam Le Mans Tiger
Le Mans Classic 2014 – 1962 to 1965 Race
Shelby Cobra 289
Shelby Cobra 289
Ferrari 275 GTB
1964 Triumph Spitfire ‘ADU1B’ and 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ
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[Source: Peter Auto; photos: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]
