Parked in town

24 Hours of Le Mans 1960. The white Ferrari 250 GT California SWB Competizione No. 20 driven by Jo Schlesser (F) and Bill Sturgis (USA) (retired in the 22nd hour) is parked in town in front of the yellow Ferrari 250 GT SWB No. 18 of George Arents (USA) and Alan Connell Jr (USA), which will finish fifth overall (photo above).

These two cars, entered by Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART), seem to be doing their shopping in town, but it was common at the time for competitors to drive their racing cars to their hotel or elsewhere in the days before the big event, using the roads of ordinary people, Alain Piot tells us in Rétro-Viseur. 

The race was won by the factory Ferrari 250 TR59/60 of Belgians Olivier Gendebien and Paul Frère, ahead of the NART Ferrari 250 TR59, driven by Belgian André Pilette and the young (barely 18 years old) Mexican Ricardo Rodriguez. A great day for the Belgians.