Belgium and Le Mans are inextricably linked as the country was home to the record number of wins at the 24 Hours for forty-three consecutive years. In 1958, Olivier Gendebien (1924-98) became the first Belgian to win at Le Mans. With a hat-trick of successes in 1960, ’61 and ’62, his record of four wins stood until it was eclipsed by a fellow Belgian, Jacky Ickx, in 1981.

When he first won at Le Mans in 1969, Ickx’s career was split between Formula One and endurance. He left an indelible imprint on Le Mans history once he became a Porsche works driver in 1976. Three consecutive wins (1975, ’76, ’77) took him level with Gendebien, before he claimed the record outright in 1981. A sixth triumph followed a year later. Ickx’s mark remained unbeaten for 24 years until Denmark’s Tom Kristensen clinched the seventh of his nine wins in 2005.

Two more prestigious Belgians have also been overall winners at Le Mans: Paul Frère (Ferrari) in 1960, and Lucien Bianchi (Ford) in 1968. Not only a remarkable driver and journalist, Frère was also an accomplished engineer who contributed to the development of the Porsche 911. After retiring from racing, he could always be found in the press room at the 24 Hours circuit until his death in 2008 at the age of 91. Bianchi (1934-69) and his Mexican co-driver Pedro Rodríguez scored the first Le Mans win for the famous sky blue-and-orange colours of the Gulf oil company, in the Ford GT40, fifty years ago.

Belgian drivers also featured strongly in the outstanding story of Jean Rondeau, the Le Mans-born engineer who is still the only driver to win the 24 Hours in a car he built himself. Christine Beckers finished eleventh in a Rondeau-built car in 1977, while brothers Jean-Michel and Philippe Martin joined up with British driver Gordon Spice to put a second Rondeau car on the podium in third place in 1980, alongside winners Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Rondeau himself. Also worth a special mention are formidable gentlemen drivers such as Jean Blaton, third in a Ferrari in 1967, who raced under the pseudonym of Beurlys, and Jacques Swaters, Ferrari’s first European importer and boss of Ecurie Francorchamps.

All these stories, and more, await at Autoworld! Details of the exhibition, supported by the ACO’s Belgian office, can be found at autoworld.be.

Photo (© / Archives):  With his fifth triumph on 14 June 1981, Jacky Ickx succeeded fellow Belgian Olivier Gendebien as holder of the record number of 24 Hours of Le Mans wins. He went on to score a sixth success a year later.