DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Le Mans 100

A Century at the World's Greatest Endurance Race

Glen Smale author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc

Published:3rd Aug '23

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

Le Mans 100 cover

Marvel at 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the official illustrated history packed with photography, narrative, and race results.

Held on the Circuit de la Sarthe comprising closed public roads and dedicated racecourse, Le Mans features cars and two-driver teams that can cover more than 3,000 miles during the race. Le Mans 100 is a thorough year-by-year history showcasing all aspects of the grueling contest, including:
 

  • A slew of legendary marques and models, including Porsche, Ferrari, Ford, Corvette, Cobra, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, BMW, McLaren, and more
  • A who’s-who of motorsport legends like Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, Ken Miles, Jackie Ickx, Derek Bell, and Tom Kristensen (among dozens others)
  • All the classes that ran in each year’s event, including the top LMP1 and LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype) categories and GT (grand tourer) 
  • A list of each year’s top three overall finishers

In addition, author and award-winning Le Mans historian Glen Smale details touchstone events such as the late-1960s battles between Ford and Ferrari popularized in the film Ford vs Ferrari, and the 1955 tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 80 spectators.

The oldest active endurance race is intended to showcase mechanical reliability as much as driver skill and fortitude. This beautifully designed and extensively illustrated book celebrates those attributes, chronicling the exploits of both factory-sponsored cars and privateer entries, from the early open-cockpit racers right through to today’s hybrid era.

Compiled by a meticulous author with a passion for motorsport, Le Mans 100 is the ultimate chronicle of a marquee race.

"...a treasure trove of history, captivating stories, and mesmerizing imagery that took me on a journey through the legendary endurance race’s rich past.Its stunning visuals, captivating narratives, and comprehensive coverage of a century of racing make it an essential addition to any motorsport library. Smale’s passion for the subject matter shines through on every page, ensuring that readers will be captivated by the stories and images, just as I was." -- Juston Cornelison * Winding Road Magazine *
“Le Mans 100 is the ultimate chronicle of a marquee race.”
 
  * Stuttcars Porsche Road & Race Cars *
"There's a huge variety of photos...this ork will also be useful to researchers, both casual and professional, who need a quick-hit summary of each year’s running. The constant evolution of race categories in Le Mans history is also tracked.This is an appropriate and practical capsulized history of the world’s most important race for sports cars." * Hemmings Motor News *
"Far more than just a magnificent coffee table book (which it most certainly is), “LE MANS 100: A Century at the World’s Greatest Endurance Race” by Glen Smale is truly the definitive book on the hundred-year history of that iconic racing event." * AutoMatters,net *
"This is an appropriate and practical capsulized history of the world’s most important race for sports cars." * Hemmings.com *
"There are at least three good reasons to single out this book from the several that are even worth knowing about. To wit: the author’s qualifications, the book is officially endorsed by the race organizer, and the winningest Le Mans driver wrote a very lucid Foreword."  * Speed Readers *
"...make no mistake, this is a valuable volume, with an exceptional level of detail provided on the races themselves and the evolution of cars, rules, and winning streaks along the way." * BMW Car Club Magazine *

"This book will please Le Mans cognoscenti with its fi ne photography, some of which is Smale’s, permitting close study of details as all images
are published large."

* SAH Journal *

ISBN: 9780760376171

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 1506g

240 pages