This year, Skoda celebrates its 125th anniversary. Known recently for its participation in the World Rally Championship (WRC2), the Czech constructor also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1950 with this 1101 Sport driven by Vaclav Bobek and Jaroslav Netusil (retirement).

After the DB adventure with René Bonnet, Charles Deutsch founded the Société d’Etudes et de Constructions CD (CD Studies and Constructions Company), with at the start in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans these two highy aerodynamic cars powered by Panhard. Unfortunately, Alain Bertaut-André Guilhaudin (#44) and Pierre Lelong-Guy Verrier (#45) were both forced to retire.

The Ferrari BB 512 was a major player at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Entered by the JMS team and French importer Charles Pozzi, in 1979 this BB 512 was driven by French drivers Claude Ballot-Léna and Michel Leclère along with the American Peter Gregg (at the time a Porsche dealer in Florida!).

The first German marque to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans (in 1952), Mercedes had to wait until 1989 for another overall victory, that time with this Sauber C9 prototype shared by the Swede Stanley Dickens and German drivers Jochen Mass and Manuel Reuter. The manufacturer scored a one-two thanks to the Brit Kenny Acheson and Italian drivers Mauro Baldi and Gianfranco Brancatelli.

In 1993, three years after its seventh win at Le Mans, Jaguar took the start in the race with three of these high-performance road car XJ220s, predecessors to the McLaren F1 GTRs, Mercedes CLRs and other Toyota GT-Ones seen at the 24 Hours in the late 1990s. This car presented at the Artcurial auction at the Rétromobile show on 7 February was shared by Paul Belmondo, Jay Cochran and Andreas Fuchs (retirement). The driver line-up in the #50 included two Le Mans winners: John Nielsen (with Jaguar in 1990) and David Brabham (with Peugeot in 2009).

Bugatti made its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with this EB110 in 1994, 55 years after its last appearance...and its second overall win. Fielded at the initiative of French press baron Michel Hommell, the car arrived by road to submit to the technical checks. Jean-Christophe Boullion, Alain Cudini and Eric Hélary was in sixth posiition overall before encountering engine troubles and retiring less than an hour from the checkered flag.

The McLaren F1 GTR is one of the most striking cars of the 1990s. The Rétromobile booth of FIA Endurance Commission President Richard Mille presented the F1 GTR in two stunning liveries: one designed by the sculptor César (1995) and one in the iconic sky blue and orange colors of Gulf Oil, a three-time winner in 1968, 1969 and 1975. The #41 McLaren F1 GTR with greatly modified aerodynamics was shared by the Swede Anders Olofsson and French drivers Jean-Marc Gounon and Pierre-Henri Raphanel and finished second in 1997.

In 1998, four Nissan R390 GT1s took the start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, all finishing in the top 10 overall. The model at the Rétromobile show finished fifth driven by German driver Michael Krumm, the Frenchman Franck Lagorce and Danish driver John Nielsen (winner in 1990). The three other R390 GT1s finished third, sixth and 10th.

Just 20 years ago, Audi secured its first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a hat trick by this R8 prototype. This model finished second driven by Frenchman Laurent Aïello, Scottish driver Allan McNish and Monaco native Stéphane Ortelli. The same trio had won the race in 1998 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GTR. The Audi R8 clinched five of the marque's 13 wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

PHOTOS (Copyright - Louis Monnier/ACO): PARIS EXPO (PARIS, FRANCE), SALON RETROMOBILE, 5-9 FEBRUARY 2020.