LeMans
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LeMans is a city that spans the centuries.  What is now a fully modern and busy city was first inhabited by Druids, then fortified by Romans.  The Roman walls hold up the medieval cathedral.  The medieval cathedral is a prime landmark when walking through the busy city center and shopping district.  It is also the home of the 24 Hours of LeMans, the endurance automobile race of all endurance races.

 LeMans--reaching from the past into the future The medieval cathedral in the center of town Admiring a relic from the Druids Some of the half-timbered homes in the old town A middle ages guard tower built on a Roman foundation Playing in the sand under the Roman walls On the move

 

The Auto Museum of LeMans

When most people hear 'LeMans' , they think of race cars.  (At least that is true of the people that I grew up with)  This makes sense as LeMans has been the center of endurance racing since cars were first invented.

On the grounds of the endurance circuit is a wonderful museum for automobile lovers.  The Musee Automobile de la Sarthe.  This museum contains examples of wheeled transport and automobile art from the earliest steam powered cars and motorcycles to the endurance racers of today.  

A must-see museum for any fan of automobiles.

 One of the sculptures from the museum. Some of the earliest European autos Clark Gables auto Dash plaques actually mounted on a dash--how often do you see that?  A steam powered motorcycle. Imagine what happens when that belt breaks! One of the early examples of the drive to small cars A more successful example of the small, European car A racing Ferrari--what more needs to be said?

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Page created on 02 Aug 2001