With 20 stints in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 60 years of total history with the iconic track, Corvette has some real history in France.
Long and Winding Road
It's hard to fathom, but Chevy's iconic Corvette and the equally iconic circuit at Le Mans have been intertwined for sixty years now, even though the car is just celebrating its 20th appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019. So Road & Track thought now would be a great time to look back at this long and winding history with some very cool historic images.
Photos: Road & Track
Early Efforts
Here we see Bob Grossman piloting his C1 Corvette, owned by Briggs Cunningham, at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans. Together with John Fitch, Grossman took home the win in the GT 5.0-liter class and finished eight overall.
Photos: Road & Track
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Pit Stop
This photo depicts a pit stop at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans. You can clearly see legendary drivers Bob Bondurant and Dick Gullstrand's Dana Chevrolet-entered Corvette receiving some quick service.
Photos: Road & Track
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Try and Try Again
A total of two Corvettes participated in the 1968 Le Mans endurance race, but neither managed to finish the grueling event. Regardless, Henri Greder and Umberto Maglioli's ride certainly looked amazing.
Photos: Road & Track
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Bouncing Back
The early '70s didn't go too well for team Corvette, either. 1970 saw an early breakdown, followed by a transmission failure in 1971. But by 1972, Bob Johnson and Dave Heinz's Corvette bounced back for a 15th place overall finish.
Photos: Road & Track
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Make It Official
Things finally became official in 1999, when Corvette Racing made its first appearance at Le Mans. And the very next year, the C5-R tasted success with an 11th place overall finish.
Photos: Road & Track
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Class Win
In 2001, the trio of Ron Fellows, Scott Pruett, and Johnny O'Connell scored an LMGTS class win to add a trophy to the mantle.
Photos: Road & Track
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Getting Revenge
Ferrari got the best of Corvette for the next couple of years, but Chevy got their revenge in 2004 when Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Jan Magnussen scored the team's third Le Mans win.
Photos: Road & Track
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Tough Years
The Corvette C6.R stormed Le Mans in 2006, securing the team's second GT1 class win. But that was followed by a few tough years before Corvette Racing reclaimed its crown again in 2015.
Photos: Road & Track
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Looking Ahead
Things are obviously winding down for the front-engine Corvette as the mid-engine C8 looms on the horizon. But we can't wait to see what that new car is capable of at the world's most iconic endurance race.
Photos: Road & Track
>>Join the conversation about Corvette's history at Le Mans right here in the Corvette Forum!
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