Driver Dynamics Blog

Le Mans, France 21st June 2006… The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) has honoured Bentley Motors displaying a replica of the 2003 Le Mans winning Bentley Speed 8 in the Musée Automobile de la Sarthe. In addition, Bentley’s chairman and chief executive, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, was presented the ACO’s prestigious “Spirit of Le Mans” award.The display model is an exact replica of the car driven to victory by Tom Kristensen, Guy Smith and Dindo Capello in 2003. The original car is kept at the company’s headquarters in Crewe, England. It finished the race just ahead of its sister car (the number 8 Speed driven by Mark Blundell, David Brabham and Johnny Herbert.

The 2003 victory marked the successful completion of Bentley’s Le Mans programme, which saw the company return to the race after an absence of 71 years. The dual success echoed the company’s previous Le Mans victories during the 1920s and 1930s.

The Bentley Speed 8 will become the second winning car in the Le Mans museum’s collection, the first being an original 1924 Bentley 3 litre. The museum is located at the entrance to the famous Le Mans circuit and features over 100 historic automobiles, including more than a dozen genuine winning cars from past races.

Bentley’s addition to this famed collection was marked by an official ceremony during which ACO President Jean-Claude Passart presented the Spirit of Le Mans award to Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive.

During the ceremony, Mr. Passart commended Dr. Paefgen’s long-standing commitment to racing in Le Mans. As former chairman of AUDI AG, Dr. Paefgen was instrumental in shaping Audi’s motor racing program, which enabled the brand to enter Le Mans beginning in 1999. After moving to Bentley in 2002, Dr. Paefgen took charge of the company’s ambitious motor sports project, culminating with the win at Le Mans in 2003.

The ACO awards the “Spirit of Le Mans” to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the evolution of the world-renowned 24-hour motor racing event. Past recipients of the award include Ferdinand Piech, Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell and Phil Hill.