Le Mans Race

Mazda 787B 1991

The 1991 Le Mans was a historic moment for the rotary engine. It was in this year that a Mazda 787B finally secured an overall win at the 24-heures du Mans, the first time for a Japanese challenger to realize such an achievement. The action of the memorable 59th event began at 4:00 PM on June 22nd. Three rotary-engined contenders, featuring one additional rotor for a four-rotor configuration, aggressively hunted out their spaces among the legendary rivals of Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Peugeot and Porsche.

It was 1:03 PM on the 23rd when the number 55 Mazda 787B passed the defending champion Mercedes to take the lead. When the small hand of the clock pointed at four, it was the Mazda crew that was the first to see the chequered flag. The winner's siblings also saw out the full 24 hours crossing the finish line to glory in sixth and eighth place. The dream, long cherished but one that had remained elusive for 13 years, had at last come true.

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