Date: 15-16 June 1929

Number of cars on the starting grid: 25

Number classified as finishers: 10

Winners: Woolf Barnato/Henry Birkin (#1 Bentley Speed Six)

Distance covered by the winners and average speed: 2,843 km (174 laps) at an average 118 kph

Highlights:

- For the 1929 24 Hours, Bentley put on a merciless display, clinching the top four spots. It was the British marque’s fourth win in Sarthe, and they triumphed again the following year. Their record was equalled by Jaguar in 1957 and later beaten by Ferrari in 1962.

- Bentley beat its own distance record, set the previous year.

- Diamond dealer and Bentley’s main shareholder, Woolf Barnato claimed his second straight win. The following year, he became the first three-time winner in the history of the 24 Hours, with a performance that remains unbeaten to date: three wins in three appearances!

- For his first Le Mans win, Henry Birkin set a new lap record with a time of 7:21 and an average speed of 133 kph.

Motorsport in 1929:

1929 was the year of the first ever Monaco Grand Prix, which was won by British driver William Grover-Williams in a Bugatti. To date, six drivers have scored victories at both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix. Tazio Nuvolari, Maurice Trintignant, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt and Fernando Alonso.

What else happened in 1929?

- On 16 May, the first ever Oscars ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

- Personalities born in 1929 include film-maker Sergio Leone (3 January), American Baptist minister and activist Martin Luther King (15 January), writer Milan Kundera (1 April) and actor Audrey Hepburn (4 May).

Photo (Copyright: ACO archives) -  LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 15 JUNE 1929. Competitors are lined up for the traditional Le Mans start. Barnato and Birkin’s winning Bentley can be seen in the foreground.