Bell rings praises of Le Mans
Judith Edwards • Published 8 Oct 2010 10:57
On Sunday Sir Stirling Moss OBE, as guest of honour, will open the first Chelsea AutoLegends event, featuring some of the world's finest road and competition cars. The celebration focuses on the 40th anniversary of Porsche's first win in the Le Mans race and visitors will be able to see a screening of the 1970 film, Le Mans, starring Steve McQueen.
Space for 300 reserved parking places has been set aside in the Royal Hospital's grounds for owners of classic and sports cars. Chelsea AutoLegends event director, former group MD of Haymarket Exhibitions Simon Daukes, said: "While the focus will be on the major display of cars that have raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Chelsea AutoLegends paddock is providing enthusiasts with a great chance to be part of the event and will give the public something extra to enjoy."
Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, TVR and Marcos owners from Berkshire and Surrey, and further afield, will be bringing their cars to London as part of this public showcase. During the day there will be an auction to raise funds for Chelsea Pensioners, the residents of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
Derek Bell MBE is one of the many high profile personalities appearing at Chelsea AutoLegends. Bell has won the famous 24 hour race more times than any other British driver. He was also one of the 'young guns' hired by movie legend McQueen's Solar Productions company to help with the filming of the epic Le Mans movie, 40 years on the memories of his time in France with McQueen are still fresh...
Q: You made your Le Mans debut 40 years ago sharing a works Ferrari 512S with F1 star Ronnie Peterson, then stayed to help Steve McQueen make the eponymous film:
A: "There had been a camera car in the race but we stayed on afterwards to help with the subsequent filming. They put a spare engine in the 512S I'd had in the race and I drove that car and, on occasions, some of the Porsche 917s, too. Steve's passion for speed was obvious, he wanted to drive flat-out all the time and the filming was almost a secondary reason for being there, which is probably why we all got on so well and we were completely comfortable having him driving with us at 200miles an hour."
Q: From your book, 'My Racing Life' it is obvious that you got on famously with McQueen.
A: "We developed a strong friendship during the shoot that resulted in our two families taking a small ch
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 02 Sep 10
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