Before the war Le Mans was a household word in British motor racing circles, as well it might be, with British cars winning this gruelling 24-hour sports car race outright on six occasions. The Germans did much damage to the famous circuit during the war and only this year has the Automobile Club de l’Ouest been able to revive this classic of sports car classics.

As soon as it was announced that the race would be held entries began to pour in, and the list closed at 52, of which 15 hailed from this country, 33 from France, one from Italy, two from Czechoslovakia, and one from Belgium. Apart from those racing to qualify for next year’s event, there were three distinct races: the Grand Prix d’Endurance, divided into the usual capacity classes and a mere matter of going as far as possible in the 24 hours between 4pm on June 25 and 4pm on June 26; the Biennial Rudge-Whitworth Cup race, for which the entrant has to qualify the first year by his car finishing (in this case in the 1939 race), and then contests the car afresh the next year; and the Annual Cup race, decided on a formula based on mileage covered balanced against engine size.

Peter Mitchell-Thomson and Luigi Chinetti. Chinetti drove for 22 hours as Lord Selsdon was unwell, something many believe was self inflicted over race week