By 1939, the ACO had built a sturdy reputation, having organised its flagship race for sixteen years running. The race had become famous for its demonstrations of sporting prowess and the fervour generated. However, a cloud hung over the 1939 race. To spectators and journalists alike, it seemed that the political situation had tainted the atmosphere. Totalitarian regimes had seized on motorsport, seeing in it an opportunity to prove their technical superiority. Unlike Formula One, the ACO’s strict rulebook limited over-powerful machinery. All the same, several cars on the grid were directly sponsored by the Third Reich. Bugatti won the race that took place a few weeks before World War II broke out.

On 1 September, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, sparking a terrible war and paralysing a continent. The 1940 24 Hours of Le Mans was cancelled, along with many other sporting events. For the time being, France was involved in a battle of a different sort.

A bombshell

The club stepped up immediately, helping mobilised troops in the first year and refugees in 1940-1. In 1942, the ACO teamed up with the Red Cross under the Occupation. Many instances of mutual aid took place at the time, in France and beyond. In early 1943, tens of thousands of parcels were sent to citizens in the forced labour camps instituted by the Nazis.

German general Friedrich Dollmann was in charge of the defence of key geographical areas Brittany and Normandy. As a base for Third Reich officers, Le Mans was a strategic location and therefore targeted by the Allies. From 1942 until the Liberation in 1944, the area was continually bombarded. The marshalling yard in the south of the city not far from the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans was a prime target, the goal being to prevent trains from taking Nazi soldiers to the coast where the Allies were planning their attack. Factories were targets too. A branch of aeroplane engine manufacturing company Gnome and Rhône was located near the airfield, close to the ACO buildings.

Under Winston Churchill’s command, the British attacked at night, swooping in low and bombing with precision. However, Dwight D.Eisenhower’s instructions were different, and the U.S. planes struck from a height of 5,000 metres. High-altitude bombing being less accurate, the ACO buildings – the grandstands and pit lane – ended up totally destroyed.

Starting from scratch

By the time the war ended, there was nothing left. Undeterred, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest set about rebuilding the circuit infrastructure and pursuing its 39-year-old mission to beam the 24 Hours of Le Mans around the world. Even during wartime, the association kept the racing passion alive, organising an exhibition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the race at the local Peugeot dealership.

A new grandstand was built thanks to a State grant, and little by little the 24 Hours of Le Mans regained momentum. Some 100 million francs were invested in starting up the race once more. The course remained identical. At first, the ACO aimed to reprise the race as early as 1947, but postponed to 1948. However, the economic situation – petrol rationing in particular – was still not conducive to hosting such a major event. Sadly, Gustave Singher who had chaired the club since 1910 died before the first post-war race in 1949, which drew a crowd of 100,000.

In a meaningful ceremony, Christian Pineau, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Member of Parliament for La Sarthe, and a member of the Resistance, waved the flag to start the race, having greatly contributed to its reinstatement. The President of France, Vincent Auriol, attended the historic race, a sign of its importance to the nation. Competition-wise, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was as popular as ever. Despite the ten-year hiatus, the club received no less than a hundred entry applications.

When Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon’s Ferrari 166 MM crossed the line, the drivers shared their triumph with the race organisers. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest had managed to rebuild its pride and joy.