This owner of a shipyard in Marseille first participated in the 24 Hours at the wheel of a Gordini (1956 and 1957) then an Abarth (1960) before launching a successful career in the trenches of Ferrari. Jean Guichet: "What interested me in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is that you have to know how to go fast without ruining the car, without pushing the tachometer into the red, without damaging the brakes, etc. It all made the 24 Hours very attractive for drivers. I had a great relationship with Enzo Ferrari because I was both a driver and a client. And he took notice of me as I was competing in races at the wheel of Ferraris I'd bought as a client."

For his first runnings of Le Mans with Ferrari, he finished third in 1961 with the 250 GT, then second the following year with the iconic 250 GTO: "I remember the Ferrari GTO so fondly, it was a marvellous car, the one you needed to be able to win at the time. If it's so coveted these days with collectors, it's because it had everything you wanted, and the track record to go with it."

Among the drivers with whom Guichet teamed up over the course of his 13 participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, French driver Pierre Noblet and Sicilian Nino Vaccarella stand out. With Noblet, Guichet shared 1961 and 1962 podium finishes. Then, in 1964, he triumphed with Nino Vaccarella. After qualifying in seventh position, the French-Sicilian duo pulled off a steady showing then snatched the lead mid-race after fueling troubles for the other Ferrari driven by Lorenzo Bandini-John Surtees. Five years later, they shared a Matra prototype at Guichet's request and finished fifth.

In addition to the top step on the podium, in 1964 Guichet and Vaccarella established a new distance record with 4,965.310 kilometers covered (at an average of 195.638 km/h). "Nino and I had gotten to know each other at various previous races, and we liked one another. We were always on the same page in terms of not pushing the car too far. We tried to finish races intelligently, there was no hesitation between us, we got along extremely well."

In seven starts with Ferrari, Guichet also shared the wheel with other Ferrari legends at Le Mans from the 1960s, like Italian driver Lorenzo Bandini, winner in 1963, and British top-notch driver and engineer Michael Parkes. "I don't remember any specific distinction between what we now consider to be professional drivers and gentlemen-drivers. We all understood our respective potential and there was a wonderful sense of camaraderie among us, so we didn't set out to impressive each other. The results spoke for themselves." 

 

PHOTO (Copyright - ACO/Archives): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 10-11 JUNE 1961. At the 24 Hours, Jean Guichet drove some of the most iconic Ferrari road sportsters, including the 250 GT (pictured here) and the 250 GTO, that gave him his first podium finishes.