Alpine A442B V6 Turbo Le Mans 24 Hours Winner – Car No.2 (1978)

The only Renault to win the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours road race and certainly, in terms of straightline speed, the fastest ever racing car built by Renault: down Le Mans’ daunting 5 km Mulsanne straight – then without its chicanes – it was capable of 352kmh (220mph). Victory was achieved in 1978, with all-French duo Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi who inherited victory with six hours to go when team-mates Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Patrick Depailler retired their A442B. In total, they completed 379 laps – five more than the second-placed Martini Porsche and a distance of 5045km. Their victory in front of the adoring French public made them and Renault national heroes. However, the 24 Hours now conquered, Renault never returned to Le Mans, turning its attentions solely to Formula One.