When history repeats itself - the Hotel de France in Le Mans
From 1953 to 1963, the Hotel de France in the town of Chartre-sur-le-Loir was Aston Martin's base for the 24-hour events of the time. The first victory celebration took place there in 1959, when the Aston Martin DBR1 with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadory was the first to cross the finish line.
However, it was not only Aston Martin that enjoyed being a guest at the Hotel de France, but also many other teams. The Porsche 917 in long-tail configuration was parked in front of the hotel ...
... as did TVR with its Grantura Mk III in 1963, ....
... or the Mirage sports cars a few years later (picture at the top).
Now history is set to repeat itself. Martin Overington, who bought and renovated the hotel last year, is delighted that Aston Martin is returning to the hotel.
This year, the 24 Hours promises to be perhaps the best motorsport event of the year, with Porsche aiming for another victory in the endurance classic, which the competition from Toyota, Audi and Nissan, among others, will naturally try to prevent.
You can find out more about the 24 Hours of Le Mans on our dedicated page.
(All historic images are © Hotel de France)
