[LM24] 1984 the event that made me to go in 1985

[GT6]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F1ZJit0qQ4

[Adam43]

I'm interested why it was particularly that which made you go?

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I'm interested why it was particularly that which made you go?

Because 1984 was my first Le Mans. Many and various Group C (Porsche, Lancia, Jaguar, Aston-Martin, Rondeau, W.M, screaming little Mazda...), still some GT (Ferrari BB, Porsche, BMW M1), a real hot and sunny weather.

In memory of Jacky Loiseau

[GT6]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I'm interested why it was particularly that which made you go?

I had always watched motorsport and loved aston martins (still do) but the coverage of the incident and the race just made the whole thing look exciting and the speeds were incredible, we were all talking about it down the pub and decided to go the next year. One year later i got a train to london, a train to newhaven, ferry over and a coach to le mans courtesy of one of the motor sport trip companies. Hated the trip, the coach, the travel in general but fell in love with the race. looked at all the brits camping with cars and the following year drove down never looked back since. A very expensive obsession grew out of the 1984 race, but i do not regret it.

[Hans Stuck Fan]

84 was my second Le Mans; la retour de la Jaguar. An excellent race in many ways. One of many that Brilliant Bob Wollek could have won.

[claude2cv]

1984 was my 5th time at Le Mans. I attended Silverstone in spring, Le Mans in June and Brands Hatch in autumn at that time. Must get back to scanning slides of those days. Anyone else remember the sports car version of Grand Prix International magazine?

[AndyN]

I do remember that magazine, and still have a poster sized photo of the grid pre-start at Le mans in 83, the number of quality Gp C cars is amazing.

Having dug it out, the poster is part of the '83 Brands Hatch 1000km programme as the race was sponsored by the magazine. I'll see if I can get it scanned in at work....

[isynge]

Originally Posted by claude2cv

1984 was my 5th time at Le Mans. I attended Silverstone in spring, Le Mans in June and Brands Hatch in autumn at that time. Must get back to scanning slides of those days. Anyone else remember the sports car version of Grand Prix International magazine?

Very fond memories of GPI magazine - it was their 1982 Le Mans special that really got me interested in sportscars and their coverage of 1982/83 in particular captured the real drama of the racing and the inherent optimism that came from the start of the Group C era - have a complete run of them in the study and they are fun to revisit.

Would be delighted to see contemporary imagery Sean.

Being honest I was 12 in 1984, so my ability to lobby to go and visit was pretty limited, although Page and Moy trips to F1 races did feature in family holidays in 1986 and 1987. I was only really 1999 with flying Mercedes and the BMW / Toyota battle that really properly seized the imagination and set in the train the sequence that sees us heading to the Sarthe every June.

[GT6]

yes page and moy that was who i went with in 1985

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by claude2cv

1984 was my 5th time at Le Mans. I attended Silverstone in spring, Le Mans in June and Brands Hatch in autumn at that time. Must get back to scanning slides of those days. Anyone else remember the sports car version of Grand Prix International magazine?

Yes, I remember the 1983 French issue. It's somewhere in the archives. I don't remember a 1984 issue.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by PascaLM

Yes, I remember the 1983 French issue. It's somewhere in the archives. I don't remember a 1984 issue.

By 1984 they'd stopped doing event dedicated issues and were a biweekly (or was it monthly?).

If I get enough packing done this evening I'll try and dig a the 1984 issue out and scan the cover.

[GT6]

see you down there Ian, we will have food and drink ready for your arrival

[claude2cv]

Here is alink to a discussion on the Autosport Forum from 2003 about the mag. Half way down is a chronology for the mag.

http://forums.autosport.com/topic/59...onal-magazine/

Sean

[isynge]

Okay - not last night, but as packing is now pretty much done (back of car's almost still habitable too - does this mean I've forgotten something critical?) but here's the cover of the 1984 GPI Le Mans issue.

Enjoy, and see some of you in a couple of days.