1973 Le Mans 24 Hours

By Andrew Marriott

Last year’s victory by Matra was somewhat hollow thanks to the lack of opposition, notably from Ferrari, but this year it was an altogether different story. The Prancing Horse made a determined effort to stop Matra winning France’s most important race by fielding a three car team with the intention of bringing the honours back to Italy for the first time in eight years. The result was a stern battle between the two manufacturers and was in the balance until 90 minutes before the finish. It was only then that the Matra of Henri Pescarolo and Gerard Larrousse got the upper hand and was able to drive home to a victory that brought tears to the eyes of thousands of Frenchmen. This time there was no talk of hollow victories for it had been fairly and squarely won in a classic show of speed and reliability.