24h Le Mans
From the late 1980s onwards, the big Group C duels, which saw Porsche pitted first against Lancia then Jaguar, made way for a series of three-way tussles when Sauber-Mercedes and Nissan joined in the quest for victory.
Back in 1952, Mercedes became the first German manufacturer to win at the 24 Hours in Le Mans. It made its comeback in 1986 partnered with Swiss constructor Sauber, which had made its Le Mans debut in the 2-litre prototype class in the 1970s. Racing under the team name Kouros in 1986 and 1987, they easily qualified in the top ten but were forced to abandon mid-race. In 1988, Mercedes pulled out altogether following tyre problems during the test sessions.
In the 57th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989, Sauber Mercedes was back to challenge Jaguar and Porsche in a splendid three-way brawl. The Jaguar driven by Jeff Kline, Davy Jones and Derek Daly led the race for the first three hours but was later overtaken by the Porsche with Hans-Joachim Stück and Bob Wollek at the wheel.
When Kline/Jones/Daly abandoned and Stück/Wollek were hit by engine glitches, the other Jaguar, shared by Lammers/Tambay/Gilbert-Scott, moved ahead, leading the two Sauber-Mercedes. The British car subsequently developed gearbox issues and by early Sunday morning, the two German prototypes found themselves out front and Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens maintained their lead right up to the chequered flag.
In the end, four constructors made up the top ten: Sauber Mercedes, Jaguar, Porsche … and Mazda. The Japanese manufacturer had put in a fine overall performance, with all three cars finishing the race. Two years later, victory was theirs.
Have you read the previous instalments in the series?
The great Group C rivalries (1) – Porsche and Lancia 1983–1985
The great Group C rivalries (2) – Porsche and Jaguar 1984–1988
Photo: Mercedes takes its second Le Mans win, 37 years after its first victory in 1952.
