As this remarkable machine, so evocative of full-bore performance and the thrust of endurance racing, poses in the rain, we’re reminded of Steve McQueen’s ubiquitous 1971 quote: ‘Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting’.
In character as Michael Delaney, McQueen spoke those words in the iconic movie Le Mans – afilm that, lukewarmly received, grew to be celebrated as a ground-breaking piece that offered innovative camera-work and a visceral depiction of motor racing.
Of course, the subject matter of the movie was the Le Mans 24-hour race of 1970, so the hero cars were the likes of the Porsche 917 and Ferrari(named in some markets). This astonishing motion picture has already cemented itself in the pantheon of alltime greats, the stellar performances of Matt Damon and Christian Bale matched by the stunning cinematography of the racing.
