The 24 Hours of Le Mans race has since its first edition in 1923 been the most epic event on the annual motorsports calendar. And of course, not only the race itself is iconic, it has also brought about tales of cars, teams and drivers that went down in racing history.

As Le Mans takes men and their machines to the absolute limit of physical stress by dashing around a circuit as fast as possible during one day and one night, it crowns the cream of the crop. And over the decades, technological perfection, quality, reliablity and endurance placed a select few of manufacturers and cars on Mount Olymp of automotive divineness and they will live on to be worshiped for eternety by the motorsports world.

To follow the events of the 80th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, please check out the 2012 Le Mans Dossier.

Bentley Speed 6

The Bentley Speed 6 is the most successful Bentley racer of all time, claiming two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. This car marked the era of the famous Bentley Boys - Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin and Glen Kidston.

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Le Mans

The 8C 2300 Le Mans race car entered for the first time in the 1931 race driven by Tim Birkin and immediately took the victory. The car then went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans title in the following years until 1934, claiming a total of four trophies.

Jaguar D-Type

After a difficult start in 1954, the D-Type claimed victory at Le Mans in three consecutive seasons from 1955 until 1957. While the victory in 1955 was controversial due to a tragic accident, the racer celebrated its most successful season in 1957 by taking five out of the six top positions.

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa

In the early 1960s Ferrari dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their Testa Rossas. The 250 TR's won the race on 1958, 1960 and 1961. Their legendary racing success makes these models also some of the most desired collectors' cars in the world.

Ford GT40

The Ford GT40 is the result of a deep rivalry between Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford. Ford was determinded to break Ferrari's dominance in motorsport and developed a car that would finally succeed in 1966. Until 1969, the Ford GT40 remained undefeated at Le Mans and is hence one of the most successful endurance challengers of all times.

Porsche 917

The Porsche 917 was an highly successful prototype that first competed in 1969. While not performing well during the first season, modifications of the car won in the subsequent years 1970 and 1971. The Porsche 917 marks the beginning of Porsche's dominance at Le Mans that should last until the 1980s.

Porsche 956

Porsche is the overall most successful manufacturer in Le Mans history. Out of the sixteen Porsche victories, four were claimed by the 956 between 1982 and 1985, which makes it one of the most successful Le Mans challengers to date. After the fatal accident of Stefan Bellof in 1985, the security concens lead Porsche to replace the car by the 962 model.

Mazda 787B

With just one Le Mans win, the Mazda 787B is nonetheless an icon of endurance racing. It is so far the only Japanese car to triumph at the French circuit and also the first car to win with a wankel rotary engine design.

Audi R8

While Porsche still holds the Le Mans record with 16 trophies, Audi work hard to catch up with their compatriot competitor. The R8 did its share by claiming the title in five years: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. With this history, the R8 is the most successful car to compete at Le Mans to the present day.

Audi R10 TDI

The Audi R10 TDI can be already regarded as a modern classic of the recent Le Mans history. It was not only the first diesel-engined car to ever win at the endurance race, it also remained undefeated in 3 consecutive years: 2006, 2007, 2008. In 2009 it was replaced by the R15 TDI.

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