Competition Vehicle Unregistered

Chassis no. 001

- Ex-24 Hours of Le Mans 2000

- Built to a high standard by Didier Bonnet

- Eligible for top historic events such as Le Mans Classic

- Preserved in original condition, Le Mans 2000 racing colours

- No reserve

The reintroduction in 2000 of an LMP 675 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, after a one-year gap, enabled Didier Bonnet to return to his 1998 prototype and modify it for Le Mans 2000. Originally from Besançon, Bonnet made a name for himself in the 1970s in the Hill Climb Championship, before building his first car at the start of the 1980s: a Formule Libre single-seater, it was the first to be called ‘Debora’, an acronym of ‘Didier Bonnet Racing’. After this, like other traditional constructors such as Courage or Rondeau, he turned to building prototypes for endurance racing, and in 1992, entered a Debora (with an Alfa Romeo engine) for the first time in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Several other entries at Le Mans followed, with his best result in 1995, when the Ford turbo-engined Debora LMP295 driven by Bernard Santal, Edouard Sezionale and Patrice Roussel finished 20th (and was the only LMP2 car to cross the line).

 

Didier Bonnet passed away in 2011, but his cars live on. Designed by Bonnet and Didier Rimmer, a former Tiga engineer, the cars were distinguished by their very high standard of construction, and this Debora LMP2000 is no exception. With an aluminium monocoque structure (Bonnet was one of the few constructors who stuck with this material, which was easier to repair than carbon-fibre) and a rocker-arm suspension system, it had a 6-cylinder 3.2-litre BMW engine prepared by the specialist Heini Mader. It was entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000 in the LMP 675 category (the figure corresponding to the minimum weight allowed) with the number 30, to be driven by Patrick Lemarié, Jean-François Yvon and Yann Goudy. A failure of the lubrication system forced it to retire a few hours after the start.

Afterwards, the car competed in a few other races in 2000, finishing eighth in the Donington 2 Hours 30 Minutes, before being put into storage. It emerged from the shadows ten years later for Classic Days at Magny-Cours, where the public had the pleasure of seeing it run on several occasions between 2011 and 2015, with its previous owner.

 

The car is presented today with its original body, still in its Le Mans 2000 colours, a BMW-Mader engine and a Hewland gearbox: it runs, but will need a thorough overhaul before returning to the track. With its elegant and understated shape, it is eligible for the top historic events such as Le Mans Classic Legends and is a wonderful tribute to the magnificent cars created by Didier Bonnet, one of the last traditional constructors to compete in high-level motorsport.

Photos © Nino Hamet