Five-times Le Mans-winnner Derek Bell will be reunited with the Gulf GR8 which carried him to his first victory at La Sarthe when he returns to the Hotel de France on 11 June.
The famous race car will be on display in the square outside the hotel for most of the morning, with Derek Bell making two appearances between 10:30-11:00 and 12:30-13:00 to meet fans and sign autographs.
The GR8 is making a rare outing from the ROFGO collection, which owns more than thirty other Gulf-liveried racers. Following its appearance in La Charte-sur-le-Loir, the Ford-powered Gulf will be taken to the circuit museum, where it will be on show throughout the race weekend.
“Back in 1975, I was able to celebrate the first of my Le Mans victories at the Hotel de France,” said Bell. “To be coming back to the hotel and be reunited with the Gulf GR8 that took myself and Jacky Ickx across the finish line will be a special moment for me. Little did I realise back then that my love affair with Le Mans would stretch across five decades! The teams, the cars, the race and, most importantly, the fans of the 24 Hours of Le Mans have given me so much over the years. I am delighted therefore, to be back with the car that started it all.”
“We are delighted to be able to reunite Derek with the car in which he first won Le Mans and that the car will be on display at the museum,” said Gulf Oil’s Caroline Parker. “We are very much looking forward to the celebrations.”
