Own a piece of Le Mans history

The helmet is to be worn by Rosenblad in the 69th running of the French endurance classic and will sport the signatures of all the top protagonists. The helmet will then be auctioned off on Sunday after the race on Radio Le Mans, with all proceeds going to the Mechanics' Trust charity.

The offer has come about with a certain air of necessity. Rosenblad approached Stand 21 on Thursday after the Swede's original helmet was stolen from the back of his Paul Belmondo Racing team's truck the previous evening. Rosenblad was unable to drive in Wednesday's qualifying session as he had not, for once, brought a spare.

"The helmet was in the truck and around nine o'clock in the evening on Wednesday, someone just opened the door and took it," explained Rosenblad. "They didn't want the gloves or the balaclava, which were inside it. They just threw those aside and took the helmet. I'm very pleased that the people at Stand21 have donated a helmet for me to use."

"Normally I bring two, but this time, for some reason, I only brought one because it was less to carry. It's not that I'm worried about buying a new one, it's the sentimental value. I'd had that helmet for four years and after this race I was just going to put it up on the shelf. I just want it back, no questions asked."

Despite pleas via Radio Le Mans, the helmet has yet to turn up. Cue Stand 21 and the idea for an auction.

"Carl told me about his problem and asked if we could give him a helmet," said president of Stand21, Yves Morizot. "I gave him an answer in about 30 seconds and of course it was yes and we gave him an immediate fitting. We like to take care of everybody and that's a big part of Stand21."

The helmet will go to the highest bidder on Sunday night after the race, so dig deep and get a real piece of Le Mans history by sending in your bids to the Radio Le Mans studio via phone on +33 (0)2 43 75 62 55 or email at studio@radiolemans.com.