24 Hours of LeMans

Endurance. Prestige. Speed. The 24 Hours of LeMans combines the three in a way that only the French could imagine.

The race is grueling. Run since 1923 on permanent track and closed public roads, it is not only sports car racing’s oldest endurance race, it is considered its marquee event.

LeMans has seen its fair share of auto racing history over the years.

It was first run at a time when Grand Prix racing was extremely popular in Europe, and the LeMans drove manufacturers to produce vehicles that are both fast and extremely durable.

Originally dominated by French, British, and Italian drivers, brands like Alfa-Romeo, Bugatti, and Bentley took the early races. They were soon followed by Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, and by the sixties even Ford was winning races with the legendary GT40.

But the race isn’t the only attraction. Accommodations range from campsites to medieval French Chateaux, and every year thousands of classic cars and tens of thousands of fans descend on the Loire countryside, so book early.