Attracting two-hundred-and-thirty-eight-thousand visitors over a four-day period, the Le Mans Classic brought the 2025 FIM Historic Events Calendar to an incredibly successful conclusion earlier this month at the iconic French motor racing circuit.
Celebrating its twelfth edition, the Le Mans Classic ran from 3-6 July and it was a great honour for the FIM to be invited to include the event on its FIM Historic Events Calendar. Created in 2002 by Peter Auto in collaboration with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, Le Mans Classic celebrates the entire legend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans through a unique retrospective and was an immediate success, quickly establishing itself as the world's largest gathering of vintage cars in competition.
Among the many highlights this year were the exceptional ‘Collectors' Treasures’ motorcycle exhibition, presented in the village thanks to the Amicale Spirit of Speed that plays a central role in the FIM Historic Events calendar.
The FIM Historic Events Calendar was originally created in 2021 to exclusively present machines whose authenticity has been certified by a procedure that gives them an irrefutable identity. The 2025 edition got under way with mid-May’s hugely-popular Sunday Ride Classic at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France followed by last month’s Motor Revival Zolder in Belgium before concluding at Le Mans.
This procedure is carried out through the ground-breaking FIM Certification for Competition Motorcycles initiative – launched at the Sunday Ride Classic – that is available to all motorcycle collectors and owners worldwide as part of the FIM Heritage Programme that aims to authenticate and catalogue classic machines by compiling a comprehensive database of bikes, races and riders.
Marc Ouayoun, the Managing Director of Peter Auto, said: “I would like to express my gratitude to this passionate and demanding association which, for this first invitation to our event, was able to assemble an exceptional selection of twenty-four historic motorcycles, all certified under the FIM Heritage Programme.
“Some of these machines have left their mark on the history of motorcycle racing through their track record, technology or rarity. Among the highlights on display, visitors were able to admire Giacomo Agostini's Suzuki 500 RG Mk1, Patrick Pons' Yamaha 350 TZ-A, the Honda RCB 1000 endurance bike and Michele Pirro's spectacular Ducati Panigale V4R. Not to mention the Harley-Davidson 350, World Champion in 1976 with Walter Villa, or Maverick Vinales' Aprilia 125 RSA, which bear witness to the richness of these eras.
“I would also like to warmly thank the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme and its President, Mr Jorge Viegas, for their support in the development of this heritage initiative. The ‘FIM Historic Event’ label awarded to this exhibition is not only a guarantee of quality but also international recognition of Spirit of Speed's commitment to promoting classic motorcycles.
“The machine start-up sessions – as well as the availability of the members of the Association to share their passion with visitors – added a lively, human and deeply inspiring dimension to this exhibition. Thank you again to everyone involved for this magnificent contribution, which perfectly illustrates the spirit of transmission and passion that drives Le Mans Classic.”
Bernard Girardot-Miglierina, President of the Spirit of Speed Association, added: “After meeting with the Peter Auto team at Estoril Classic in 2023, we were delighted to receive their invitation to host our first exhibition of racing motorcycles at Le Mans Classic – the world's largest event for classic racing cars on a circuit. For a first, the Peter Auto team went all out by reserving a strategic location for us at the entrance to the village and a magnificent exhibition space in a 1970s bumper car arena.
“For the occasion we selected twenty-four exceptional machines, both for their history and technical interest. Our biggest surprise was the reception from the public, who were particularly interested in our presentations and the quality of the line-up. The enthusiasts applauded our warm-up sessions.”
Discover the FIM Heritage and Certification Programme HERE
ABOUT FIM HERITAGE PROGRAMME (www.fim-heritage.com)
The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has launched a programme aimed at conserving motorcycle competition heritage at global level and promoting this historic heritage. Certifying and promoting the technical and historic value of competition machines forms a large and all-new part of the programme.
Our program allows the public to discover not only the machines that have marked history since the creation of the championships but also the most recent ones such as MotoGP, Superbikes or endurance machines just retired from competition.
This will breathe vital new life into the classic scene by attracting collectors and spectators from new generations and younger riders. More information at www.fim-heritage.com