The Group C prototypes grid was one of the most hotly anticipated events  of the eighth Le Mans Classic. Let’s take a look back at the main trends and other highlights of a class that made its mark on Le Mans history in the late eighties and early nineties.

1982-1987: Porsche, triumphs and records – Group C is a prototype regulation that was implemented in 1982. The class’s first benchmark was inevitably set by Porsche who had won six of the previous twelve editions. With the generation of 956 and then 962 C prototypes, the German manufacturer picked up six more consecutive wins from 1982 to 1987, leapfrogging Ferrari’s record number of victories (nine) in 1985. Although Lancia pulled out all the stops to put an end to the sequence, it was finally Jaguar that succeeded in toppling Porsche.

1985-1990: Jaguar is back – Jaguar’s return to prototypes in 1985 was firstly an American initiative, before Scotsman Tom Walkinshaw became Porsche’s arch rival. Jaguar clinched its sixth and seventh Le Mans wins in 1988 and 1990, with Jan Lammers/Johnny Dumfries/Andy Wallace and Martin Brundle/Price Cobb/John Nielsen respectively.

1986-1991: Mercedes, the other German winner – The first German marque to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952, Mercedes joined forces with Swiss manufacturer Peter Sauber to produce the Kouros prototypes in 1986. In 1989, under the Team Sauber Mercedes name, the two partners took on and beat Jaguar thanks to Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens. In 1991, a young driver from the Mercedes stable clocked the best race lap time in the 24 Hours in what was to be his only appearance. His name? Michael Schumacher.

1990-1991: Two Japanese firsts – Nissan and Mazda achieved two major firsts during the Group C era. In 1990, Mark Blundell in a Nissan scored the first pole position for a Japanese marque at the 24 Hours (3:27.02 at an average of 236 kph). The following year, Mazda won the race with a rotary engined prototype, and is still the only Japanese constructor to have won at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

“Small” Group C cars: power in diversity – The history of Group C racing was also marked by a myriad of manufacturers in the heyday of the Group C Junior and then the Group C2 classes, predecessors of today’s LM P2 prototypes. The Group C Racing grid at Le Mans Classic includes some fine examples of these models: Spice, Tiga, Argo, Alba, ALD and Stehmo. After a long wait to see Group C cars make their appearance at Le Mans Classic, fans of these legendary models will undoubtedly be thrilled to see them back on the track throughout the weekend.

Photo: Group C2 prototypes played a significant role at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, like this 1988 Spice named after British driver Gordon Spice who finished third overall in a Rondeau in 1980.