Le Mans Profile: If you thought Daytona Prototypes were ugly...

"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
06/05/2015 at 13:05 • Filed to: Le Mans, Rondeau

With Le Mans coming up and promising to be one of the best yet, I thought I’d do a few profiles on interesting cars from years past. This is the first, I hope you like it.

Behold! The Rondeau M482, in all its majesty glory um, je ne sais quoi:

( Motorsport.com)

Unfortunately, in this car’s case the old adage of “form follows function” holds true, because this form didn’t function very well at all. Built by French constructor and driver !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and powered by a 3.3L Cosworth/Ford DFL ( an evolution of the evergreen !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), it was plagued with reliability problems and was a huge disappointment for the French team after the success of their M379, including its upset overall victory at Le Mans in 1980 against the Porsche juggernaut. In my research I was not able to discern if this was down to chassis/cooling issues or other mechanical faults, so I’m not blaming the aero as such, though the Cosworth power unit was and is regarded as being quite stout in most other applications.

( Motorsport.com)

Not its best angle, perhaps...

( endurance-info.com)

The M482 thus never achieved its builders’ dreams at Le Mans, with all 3 Ford France entries failing to finish the 1983 running, none making it further than half distance. Designed by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (who apparently claims to have discovered !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) to the the FIA’s new-for-1982 Group C regulations, the unusual bodywork with its notable rear tunnels (which in a way remind me of Nissans’ incredible GTR-LM) was a drastic departure from Rondeau’s previous designs, such as the lithe Le Mans-winning M379B, pictured below.

( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

A face only a mother could love? The front aero is fairly conventional for the time, but from the rear it appears a decade newer than it is, with the rounded forms fitting right into the soft-edged jellybean 90’s school of automotive design. I see some resemblance to Daytona Prototypes in the cockpit and rear deck.

( tech-racingcars.eu)

The Rondeau team folded shortly after the 1983 Le Mans following a string of disappointments since the 1980 win, though a few M482s were fielded throughout Europe by other teams until around 1987. Jean Rondeau himself found some redemption in placing 2nd at Le Mans in 1984, though it was at the wheel of Preston Henn’s Porsche 956. He was tragically killed in 1985 when his car was hit by a train. He remains the only person to have won Le Mans in a car of his own construction & name.

Though the M482 was not successful and remains a footnote in history, I’m glad it existed. It and so many other boundary-pushing cars over the decades represent the spirit of innovation and experimentation that Le Mans can foster if the rules will allow it, as they do now. It’s what makes Le Mans in particular not just my favorite event, but the most relevant race in the world. Long may it be so.

Sources: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Wikipedia, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Hat tip to Drakkon for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which led me to delve deeper into Rondeau’s history:

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