10 - 1933
This was arguably the first fast and furious Le Mans. The distance record was broken and the Alfa Romeos in the top two positions finished on the same lap, a first in the short history of the 24 Hours.
Tazio Nuvolari, making his only appearance in the 24 Hours, and Raymond Sommer claimed Alfa Romeo's second consecutive victory, but they would have won by more in their 8C 2300MM but for a leaking fuel tank. They were two laps up at half distance when the problem struck.
A rivet had fallen out of the tank, the issue manifesting itself during an already long stop in the 13th hour during which repairs had been made to the off-side front wing. That allowed the 8C 2300 shared by Louis Chiron and Franco Cortese to move into the lead, with Luigi Chinetti and Philippe Varent de Gunsburg up to third in another of the Italian cars.
To continue reading this feature, subscribe to Autosport Plus
Expert opinion. Technical insight. Unbeatable analysis. Subscribe today for unlimited access to the world's best motorsport journalism.Subscribe to Autosport Plus
- Completely ad-free environment.
- Access Autosport Plus - the best motorsport analysis, insight and opinion.
- No monthly news limit.
- Explore Forix, the world's most comprehensive motorsport stats database.
- Find out more about Autosport Plus
Are you an Autosport magazine subscriber? Activate your Plus account