Christopher Ward C7 Rapide Chronograph, Owner'S Handbook Manual

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The Le Mans 24-hr Race
Le Mans was first held in the French town of the same name
in 1923 on May 26th and 27th and has since become one of
motor sports most iconic challenges. The endurance task is to
complete the greatest distance on a combination of track and
road over a 24-hour race.
The car originally had to be a production rather than a racing
car - a rule that has been stretched to its limits over nearly 90
years. This encouraged innovation in producing reliable and
fuel-efficient vehicles, because the nature of endurance racing
requires cars that last the distance and spend as little time in
the pits as possible.
In the early years of the race there were no restrictions on
the number of drivers - and in the 1920s and 1930s some
attempted to complete the race alone. For safety reasons
this was eventually outlawed, and by the end of the 1980s three drivers became the norm. Bugatti,
Bentley and Alfa Romeo dominated the race in the early years, but after the hiatus of World War
II, Ferarri, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Aston Martin joined the fray - however, over the years it is
Porsche that has achieved the most Le Mans wins.