Le Mans (1971 Film)

[HJG]

Browsing the BBC iPlayer last night and was very happy to find the 1971 Le Mans film on there (it is apparently available until Tuesday 2nd March).
Have not seen it for a long time. This time around I kept seeing a C3 making random appearances in shots, usually being overtaken
I'd never noticed it before!

 

[Chuffer]

Browsing the BBC iPlayer last night and was very happy to find the 1971 Le Mans film on there (it is apparently available until Tuesday 2nd March).
Have not seen it for a long time. This time around I kept seeing a C3 making random appearances in shots, usually being overtaken
I'd never noticed it before!
View attachment 9584

It was probably dawdling to make the other cars look faster for filming purposes !

 

[Oneball]

I think that’s the Henri Greder car that ran from 70-75 in various colour schemes. Think it finished once (I’m probably wrong)

 

[kentvette]

That's interesting because according to Henri, the yellow car (Chassis Number 194679-S-706401) ran in that colour in 1970. By 1971 it was painted in Craven A colours of red and white. It finished 10th overall in 1970 and 12th and 18th in '73 and '74 respectively.

I believe that this Corvette still holds the record for the most appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a single chassis.

We got to know Henri through a mutual friend in the Corvette Club France and at his final Le Mans Classic appearance we followed him onto (and around for a few miles!) the track, in that car, now restored to the First National City Bank colours.

 

[HJG]

Although the film was 'set' in 1971, it used real footage from the 1970 race so that makes sense

 

[HJG]

Looks like he won his class at Le Mans twice in the Corvette

Driver: Henri Greder<!-- --> | Driver Database

www.driverdb.com

Edit: the class GTS 5+ only had I think two other cars in '73, both C3s. 74 had also a De Tomaso that did not finish.

 

[Oneball]

That's interesting because according to Henri, the yellow car (Chassis Number 194679-S-706401) ran in that colour in 1970. By 1971 it was painted in Craven A colours of red and white. It finished 10th overall in 1970 and 12th and 18th in '73 and '74 respectively.

I believe that this Corvette still holds the record for the most appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a single chassis.

We got to know Henri through a mutual friend in the Corvette Club France and at his final Le Mans Classic appearance we followed him onto (and around for a few miles!) the track, in that car, now restored to the First National City Bank colours.

View attachment 9595

View attachment 9598

Im highly likely to be wrong, it was off the top of my head!

 

[Corvette]

Any idea when the awful ZL-1 flares were put on? if they had searched a bit harder they could of come across correct L-88 flares surely.

 

[stealthyflatfish]

Le man's the film that nearly skint the studio making it, McQueen ( Solar productions ) wanted a pure racing film, the studio wanted a story line, they went back and forward for nearly a year and went through a couple of directors, and way over budget because McQueen wouldn't budge on his vision. In the end McQueen relented on the studios demand or the film would have been abandoned.

 

[Nassau65]

Great film, saw it when it was first released, and many times since.

Was 1971 the best ever year for car movies.
See how many you remember.“

 

[Oneball]

Le Mans
Last American Hero
Vanishing Point
French Connection?

Not sure about the others

 

[Roscobbc]

OK so not 1971 (1973) but produced by the same team as French Connection and Bullit (recognise the driver of the baddies car?) but a good chase.........

 

[Nassau65]

The seven ups. Great film. Bill Hickmam swaps his charger for a Pontiac. The actual chase is a cross between Bullitt and the french connection combining styles of both films. The ventura’s End is very similar to the late Jan Berry’s crash in his 1966 Corvette on Whittier blvd, near dead mans curve. Luckily Jan survived, the Vette didn’t

 

[stealthyflatfish]

OK so not 1971 (1973) but produced by the same team as French Connection and Bullit (recognise the driver of the baddies car?) but a good chase.........

Bill Hickman is the driver.

3 ?
4 Diamonds are forever.
5 Two lane blacktop

7 Duel - Spielburgs first feature film.

Missing from list, original gone in 60 seconds. But released in 1974.

 

[Nassau65]

Yes, there are a few great ones missing. Another favourite of mine is Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. Loved that “Citron Yella” ( curious Yellow) charger.

 

[Nassau65]

Thinking about the introduction of the RHD C8 Corvette, does this RHD version seem less American than its LHD sibling. Many people have said to me over the years that American cars have to be LHD to be “American “ Chrysler proved that American cars can be sold in the UK in numbers if their made in RHD. Cadillacs dismal failure to sell RHD seville’s Was more to do with price than anything else. The RHD Mustang appears to be selling well, so perhaps the LHD American thingy was/is a generation thing. I looked at a RHD 1964 Sting Ray Convertible in about 1992, nicely converted, but didn’t buy it Because it was RHD. But many years later was quite happy to drive RHD Jeeps and Voyagers.

 

[Corvette]

The RHD 1964, was it silver with a 65 BB good by any chance?

 

[Nassau65]

Yes, that’s the one. From memory it didn’t have power steering or power brakes, and was wearing Keystone type wheels. Was owned by a chap called Kim Hollandby. Still got photographs of it somewhere. It was a nice car, but just didn’t seem right to me, and as it was for my personal use as against resale, I didn’t buy it.

 

[Corvette]

Back in 93/4 I was standing on the block of my 78 pulling out difficult lifters on my parents drive when a rather excited man said “ I’ve got one of those I’ll go and get it” and off he went returning in the 64 he had just bought. Roof down it looked good, It took him to point out it was RHD! The work was apparently done in Japan. He really kicked the seller in the nuts to buy it. Still has it today Still with wrong hood on it.

 

[Nassau65]

Wow. Chances are he bought it off that chap Kim. He was very keen to sell it.