The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most prestigious endurance sports car race in the world. Until 1970, the drivers would run across the track to their parked cars, jump in and roar away for the “Le Mans” start. The car that goes the farthest in 24 hours is the winner. Usually two, three, or even four drivers rotate shifts for each car.
Looking down the row of these Le Mans contestants, it is striking how much technology has changed over four decades. The dramatic transformation between the 1933 Alfa and the 1970 Porsche is all because of competition. As the competition for speed increased (the Porsche 917 was capable of 240mph), so did the use of aerodynamic design to help make the cars more stable, thus the 917 LH’s long rear tail, fins and wing.
