The automobile museum

All pictures courtesy of Tony Brown

Just a short hop away from the main entrance of the track this museum is well worth a visit. It was founded in 1961; a new building was constructed in 1991 with app. 4.000 m² of exhibition space, a restaurant with about 100 places and a souvenir shop. There are about 200 cars on display, not surprisingly with a focus on former Le Mans participants but also some other interesting historic automobiles. Some people use a rainy day to visit it but it can be also very attractive on a very hot day; it’s air-conditioned and has proper toilets. Some examples of cars which are on display are: A Martini colored Porsche 917 Langheck from 1971, a Bentley Speed 8 from 2003, the 1924 winning Bentley 3 Litre, the 1974 winning Matra 670 B, a group C Mazda and a Silk Cut Jaguar. The museum has recently been refurbished

Address: Le musée des 24 heures, Place Luigi Chinetti, F-72100 Le Mans, Phone : +33-(0)2- 43 72 72 24, Fax : +33-(0)2- 43 85 38 96, E-mail : museumauto@sarthe.com, Website (only in French language): http://www.lemusee24h.com/

Opening hours: June – August: Mo – Su: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm, March – May and Oct. – Dec. 11.00 am – 5.00 pm, Extended opening hours during the race week

Tickets: Adults: 8 €, Adolescents (10 - 18 years): 6 €, Children (less 10 years): free, Discounts for groups and for A.C.O. members are available