Born in Paris to a Brazilian father and French mother, Hermano da Silva Ramos notably won the 1953 Sablé-Solesme rally in an Aston Martin DB2. The following year, he joined forces with Jean-Paul Colas for his Le Mans 24-Hour début at the wheel of an Aston Martin DB2/4. He drove a Gordini in 1955 with Jacques Pollet, and again in 1956 with André Guelfi. His Le Mans swansong came in 1959 when he teamed up with British driver Cliff Allison in a Ferrari 250 TR. “I raced everywhere with the Aston Martin. I even used it for everyday errands and for longer journeys!” he recalled. “The Gordinis weren’t quite so reliable but they were nice little cars to drive. The Ferrari 250 TR was by far the fastest and most exciting as it was so powerful. I have great memories of all these cars, although I sadly never completed the 24 Hours.”

After retiring, da Silva Ramos forged a career in electronics but never lost interest in motor sport, becoming friends with a number of personalities. “I have always followed Formula One in the newspapers and on TV, and of course the Le Mans 24 Hours, which is my favourite race. I knew lots of drivers and was a close friend of François Cevert, his sister Jacqueline and her husband Jean-Pierre Beltoise, and Alain Prost too. They kept me involved in motor racing when I wanted to make a complete break from it, but that’s life!”

Da Silva Ramos returned to the 24-Hour circuit in 2012 and 2014 for the Le Mans Classic. At last year’s event, he proudly showed off his 1954 Aston Martin to friends who had made the journey up from the Basque Country where he now resides.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO – Translated from French by David Goward

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 12 & SUNDAY 13 JUNE 1954. The Aston Martin DB 2/4 was one of Hermano da Silva Ramos’s favourite cars, both on and off the racetrack!