Le Mans Centennial Celebration at Pebble Beach
June 7, 2023
Pictured above: The earliest Le Mans entry on our show field was the 1929 Bentley Speed Six known as “Old Number 1.”
We send warm greetings and a wish for great success to our friends who are gathering at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for its centennial celebration.
Last August, the Pebble Beach Concours was honored to be invited by Pierre Fillon, president of L’Automobile Club de l’Ouest, to kick off a year of centennial celebrations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Leading into the Concours, racing greats Justin Bell, Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass, Henri Pescarolo and Lyn St. James gathered at a Friday Forum session to talk about their experiences at Le Mans. At a special Saturday press conference, Tom Kristensen, who has recorded the most Le Mans wins, helped to unveil the new Le Mans centenary trophy, which was shipped to us from France for special display. The famed 1936 Bugatti Type 57G Le Mans Tank made a surprise appearance at that same press conference, and come Sunday, more than 26 additional important Le Mans race cars pulled onto our competition field.
A Special Thank You!
We are grateful to everyone who made this fantastic kick-off possible, including Pierre Fillon and L’Automobile Club de l’Ouest, and we offer special thanks to the people and organizations who helped to bring us the Bugatti Tank: Hagerty Insurance, Reliable Trucking, Evan Ide, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, and Christina and the whole Simeone family.