AV51203 Avant Mirage – Le Mans 1975 3rd Place

History

The second Gulf Oil, Mirage GR8, run by the John Weyer Automotive Team in 1975, finished third, in the 24 hours of Le Mans.

For the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans, the competition was not quite as strong, as Matra withdrew from the race. Wyer's men built two brand new GR8 chassis, which featured much smoother bodywork specifically for the high-speed Le Mans track. More importantly, the Cosworth DFV engine was retuned to produce just 375 bhp compared to the 445 bhp that was on tap in the earlier seasons. It paid off as the cars finished first and third, scoring the fourth win at Le Mans for John Wyer. This was the third win at Le Mans for the Weyer/Gulf Oil partnership but also the last, Gulf withdrew its support and the cars were sold off.

The Mirage GR8 was powered by the Cosworth DFV engine, which had been designed as an integral chassis member for Formula 1, forming the rear half of the car structure. But, from the original Mirage M6, Len Bailey wisely included three-tube braces along each side. Over 24 hours the DFV's inherent vibration was very destructive. At Le Mans in 1975 it fractured the engine's lower mounting blocks, putting all the rear-end load onto Len's tripod frames on each side. This light steel framework then held both our cars together during the last half of the race. This lower mounting was remade in steel for the '76 race and both cars finished without trouble in that area.

Key Features

Driver: Vern Schuppan and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
Race: Le Mans 1975
Team: J W Automotive

High Detail body
Independent front Axles
Rear mounted Angle Winder Motor
Magnatraction System
Age Suitability: 5+

Safety Notice: Warning! This product is not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts which can present a choking hazard

Model: AV51203
Issued: December 2014
Shipping Weight: 0.30kgs

Specs

Motor: Avant Hurricane Boxer Motor 27 000 rpm @14.8v, 380gcm (22 000rpm @12v)
Motor Configuration: Rear Mounted Angle Winder Motor with rear wheel drive, - Motorpod
Gear Ratio: 10:27 (2.7:1)
Pinion: 10T Brass
Crown Gear: 27T Alloy
Bushes: Nylon
Guide: Swivel Guide
Magnatraction: 3 x Rectangular bar Magnets
Overall Length: mm
Wheelbase: 81mm
Axle/Hub Width: 56mm Front: 60mm Rear
Axle Diameter: 2.38 mm Calibrated
Front and Rear Hubs: Plastic Front and Alloy Rear
Front Tyre Diameter and Width: (ext), (int) x mm
Rear Tyre Diameter and Width: 19(ext), (int) x 9mm
Weight: 77g
Digital: No but upgradeable
Body: Lightweight High Detail
Driver: Painted Helmet on driver figure
Lights: No
Class: Classic Endurance
Scale: 1/32