Description
A unique opportunity to acquire a proven front running Porsche engineered Group C car that can also be run in its equally front running LMP1 configuration should the new owner desire. The ex-Mario & Michael Andretti, Jan Lammers, Derek Warwick, multiple Le Mans 24 Hour competitor, Chassis No. 010 raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours a staggering four times, both as a competitive Group C and LMP1 spider. Finishing on all but one occasion. With the sister car taking pole position for the 1994 Le Mans 24 Hours, chassis 010 was the only one of the three car team to reach the end taking an impressive 7th overall.
Raced at Le Mans as an LMP1 spider twice by Formula 1 world champion and sports car ace Mario Andretti. Sharing in 1996 with fellow F1 drivers Jan Lammers and Derek Warwick and the second time in 1997 with his son, F1 and Indy car driver Michael. Always powered by the twin-turbo Porsche 962 engine.
Retained by Yves Courage for 25 years and now only in its first private ownership, chassis 010 has come straight from a comprehensive restoration back to its early Group C configuration by Front Row Racing. Accompanied by its original spider C36 bodywork and spare set of wheels, wishbones and uprights. This is an exciting and rare entry to the popular historic Group C and potentially Endurance Legends grids. Let alone a significant and important piece of Le Mans racing history.
Few people and race car manufacturers can claim a closer link to the Le Mans 24 Hour race than Yves Courage and his team Courage Competition. Highly respected as both a driver and manufacturer of sports prototypes and having dedicated over a quarter of a century to racing, the name Courage commands a well deserved iconic status in the Circuit de la Sarthe’s rich history.
Born in Le Mans on the 27th of April 1948, Yves Courage began his racing career in 1972 competing in hillclimbs. Moving into sports car racing, Yves first proper attempt at the Le Mans came in 1977. With this success and the desire to match Jean Rondeau and become the second native of Le Mans to win the 24 Hour race in a car of his own construction, he founded Courage Competition in 1982.
In 1985, Yves Courage signed a deal with Porsche to use their engines in replacement for the Ford Cosworth’s, a move which would turn the tide to success for the team. The C 12 was built to take the Porsche turbocharged flat-6 engine and saw immediate success finishing 20th at Le Mans in l985 in the hands of Yves Courage, Alan De Cabinet and Jean-Francois Yvon.
The 1987 cars were designated C20 and would give the team its greatest achievement so far. Entered under the team name Primagaz Competiton and driven at Le Mans by Yves Courage, Pierre-Henri Raphanel and Herve Regout, they finally reached the podium taking 3rd overall, behind only the factory Porsche 962 and their Primagaz Competition 962. An impressive achievement as they had only been a manufacturer for 5 years. The team would go on to participate in a partial season of the World Sportscar Championship taking 8th overall in the Team Championship with the C20 and 962. Following this success, and rightfully believing that his chassis and team were capable of succeeding at Le Mans, Yves Courage officially retired from driving in order to concentrate on running the factory.
With the demise of the World Sportscar Championship in 1993, Courage yet again focused on the Le Mans 24 Hours. Running again in the competitive Category 2 Class for Group C cars they returned with another new car, the C30, chassis number 010. Like its predecessors it utilised an aluminium monocoque driven by the well proven Porsche 962 water cooled flat 6 turbo engine and Porsche gearbox. Clothed in a neat and refined aerodynamic body and separate carbon rear wing.
At the Le Mans test day the C30 LM-010 carrying race number 13, was driven by Carlos Moran and Lionel Robert and finished 6th overall with C30 LM-009 (No. 12), coming in 10th. The third car, C30 LM-011, practiced only and was kept as a spare car.
Come the race the team fielded all three cars, with this car, still carrying race number 13, being driven by the all French line up of Pierre Yver, Jean-Lous Ricci and Jean-Francois Yvon. Chassis 011, the No. 14 car, was driven by yet another Porsche factory driver, none other than Le Mans legend Derek Bell. Sponsored by Sarthe and Primagaz, C30 LM-010 qualified 13th with a time of 3:45. 810, two places behind the No. 14 car of Derek Bell and six places ahead of chassis 009, the No. 12 car. For the race they converted their 13th place start to 11th overall at the end of 24 Hours, one place behind the No. 14 Derek Bell car.
With the emphasis leaning towards GT cars for Le Mans in 1994, the Group C cars ran in LMP1. Courage Competition ran a three car team, chassis 010, 011 and 013. Running with a longer tail and now designated the C32 LM, chassis C32 LM-013, driven by Alain Ferte, Henri Pascorolo and Frank Lagorce took pole position for the race, very much proving the pace of the Courage cars. Of the three car team only the 010 made it to the end, carrying race number 9. Driven by Jean-Louis Ricci, Philippe Olczyk and Andy Evans, they finished 7th overall.
For Le Mans in 1995 Courage only entered one car, chassis number 011 now designated C34 and running in open spider configuration as per LMP1 rules. Having led the way in the prequalifying Le Mans, the driver line up of Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti, Bob Wollek and Eric Helary converted their 3rd place grid position to 2nd overall and 1st in LMP1 Courage’s best ever result at Le Mans.
For the next year, 1996, the team were back at Le Mans with a vengeance, for both the prequalifying and the race. Chassis 010, 011 and 013 were back in action, this time designated C36 and all in LMP1 spider configuration as per the previous year. This car C36-010 (note the removal of ‘LM’ in the chassis designations), had an all star driver line up of Mario Andretti, and fellow Fl stars Jan Lammers and Derek Warwick. While chassis 011 placed 2nd in qualifying it failed to finish leaving chassis 013 to come in 7th and this car, chassis 010, race number 4 to come in 13th.
In 1997 the team returned yet again, but this time with chassis 009, 010 and 013. Still powered by the Porsche flat 6 twin-turbo engines that had been so faithful for all of these years. Chassis 010, race number 9, was driven by the father and son pairing of Mario and Michael Andretti as well as Frenchman Olivier Grouillard. The car carried a stars and stripes style livery which the accompanying spider body work still carries to this day. Having qualified 13th sadly they had to retire in the 17th hour of the race leaving chassis 013 to come in 7th and chassis 009, 16th.
For the remainder of the 1997 season, Courage Competition took on the International Sports Racing Series with C36-010 taking 3rd overall at Donnington on the 6th of July, driven by Didier Cottaz and Jerome Policand. On the 3rd of August, Policand was back in the car at Zolder, this time with Ekbolm, where they finished 4th. Three months later C36-010 returned with an all French line up of Yan and Ricci for its last outing at Jarama on the 9th of November, where they finished 6th overall.
Chassis 010 remained in the ownership of Courage for the next 25 years and it was placed on display in L’Manoire Automobile in Loheac in Brittany. In 2018 C36-010 was purchased by its first private owner. He commissioned Yves and his team at Courage Classic to faithfully restore chassis 010 back into its early C30LM closed configuration.
In 2019 the car was delivered to Front Row Racing (UK) to prepare the car for historic racing again. The car was rebuilt and readied for racing again with the chassis being rebuilt including new wiring loom, the engine and gearbox rebuilt (engine rebuilt by Xtec) and the car running on Motec Engine Management. The car has been run and raced successfully in Peter Auto Group C – and has completed one event and one test day since completion. Full documentation of work undertaken available on request.
Offered for sale race ready, this car offers a unique opportunity to acquire a proven front running Porsche engineered Group C car with great Le Mans, Andretti, Lammers and Warwick history.
Accompanied by its original spider C36 bodywork and spare set of wheels and wishbones and uprights, this is an exciting and rare entry to the popular historic Group C, Le Mans Classic and potentially Endurance Legends grids.
