Trailer
Plot summary
The annual 24-hour race at Le Mans draws crowds of media, fans and drivers, among them the American Michael Delaney, back a year after the crash in which the Ferrari driver Piero Belgetti was killed. Delaney carries that memory with him. Belgetti's widow, Lisa, is at the circuit too, supporting Claude Aurac, and word of a crash on the course rattles her. She and Delaney meet, cordial but awkward. The press builds up a rivalry between Delaney, who drives for Gulf-Porsche, and Ferrari's Erich Stahler, though the two are friends off the track. Unknown to Delaney, the fellow Porsche driver Johann Ritter is considering giving up racing when the event ends.
Cast
- Fred Haltineras Johann Ritter
- Christopher Waiteas Larry Wilson
- Michele Scaleraas Vito Scaliso
- Gino Cassanias Loretto Fuselli
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Le Mans (1971)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Driver David Piper lost part of a leg as the result of a crash during filming, driving a camera car 917K that had had a camera seat removed.
- Although depicted as the factory-backed Scuderia Ferrari team, the 512s used were borrowed from Belgian Ferrari distributor Jacques Swaters, after Enzo Ferrari balked at supplying cars because the script had the Porsche team winning.
- McQueen's main Porsche 917, chassis 022, driven extensively in the film, was bought for US$1.32 million in 2001 and sold in 2002 to comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who had Joe Cavaglieri restore it to 1971 film-era Gulf Porsche livery; at Mecum Auctions in January 2025 Seinfeld turned down a bid of $25 million.
- Sturges dropped out when Cinema Center did not find the progress of the filming satisfactory, to the point that they wanted to replace McQueen with Robert Redford; Sturges was quoted as saying, "I'm too old and too rich" to put up with trouble.
- The stunts were driven by racing drivers themselves, among them Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Vic Elford, Jo Siffert, Masten Gregory, Mike Parkes, Brian Redman, Rolf Stommelen and Steve McQueen.
