24h Le Mans
1951
The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place in a few day’s time (10-14 June), and past successes will feature on the starting grid. In LMGT3 the two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs fielded by the Manthey customer team will compete in silver livery inspired by the design of the 1951 Porsche 356 SL Coupé with which the Zuffenhausen-based sports car manufacturer began its relationship with the French classic endurance race.
This is not just a stylistic choice. This livery tells a story. The two silver cars on the grid this year celebrate 75 years of international racing, which began with a drive from Zuffenhausen to Le Mans and continues today.
The #91 and #92 will be dressed in silver for a reason. The choice is a direct reference to the Porsche 356 SL Coupé driven by Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche at the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans.
At the time, Porsche was a relatively new car manufacturer. The 800-kilometre journey to and from the Sarthe circuit was made by road – an eleven-hour drive starting in Zuffenhausen. An adventure in itself!
On 23 June 1951, the French drivers started the 24-hour race in their silver 356, a lightweight car with an air-cooled 46 hp four-cylinder boxer engine. The car made up for its lack of power with an impressive display of reliability, efficiency and precision. The following day, Veuillet and Mouche finished in 20th place overall and first in class on Porsche’s Le Mans début. The rest, as they say, is history.
As the years went by, the 24 Hours of Le Mans became a development platform for Porsche. The manufacturer has had at least one car on the starting grid at Le Mans without interruption since 1951.
This outstanding loyalty is built on true engagement. From the 356 SL to the most sophisticated prototypes, Porsche boasts 19 overall victories and 112 class wins. These statistics alone underline a unique relationship between manufacturer and race.
A philosophy too: to use motor racing, and Le Mans in particular, as a real-life testing ground. Many technological innovations that we take for granted on today’s production cars were developed and tested in the demanding conditions of endurance racing.
This year Manthey will be aiming for a third consecutive class win with the two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs fielded in LMGT3.
The latest-generation GTs are a far cry from the modest 1951 356 SL. Beneath their vintage exterior the #91 and #92 can develop up to 565 hp, their silver colour a bridge between two eras.
The #91 in the hands of James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven races under the Manthey DK Engineering banner. The #92 The Bend Manthey entrusted to Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz currently leads the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 teams with a 4-point lead over the Garage 59 #10 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo.
When the engines start to roar, the two Porsches will be making a statement. They’ll be saying that the 24 Hours of Le Mans is more than a race. These cars are proof that every generation tells its own story, but echoes its predecessors.
