HL Bergandi

Renault A442B

Svelte, mighty, stunning under a livery derived from corporate graphics freshly redesigned by Parisian guru Victor Vasarely, the Renault A442B looked like a car ahead of its time.

It had a long tail topped with a well planted wing, a plexiglass cowling over the cockpit, brush skirts and the explosive, turbocharged Gordini V6 that gunned the car to lap the Circuit de La Sarthe at speeds that, despite many revisions to slow it down, for the first time surpassed those of the fabled Porsche 917s.

Nowadays you could disguise the A442B under the colors of a present-day sponsor, push it into a berth in this year's Le Mans starting grid, and only a few would discover the prank. Or, in other words, back in 1978 the thing was a flying saucer.

Shrewd veteran Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and fierce newcomer Didier Pironi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with #2 driving it fast and smart. They led for the first six hours, then let the hot dogs burn, and reclaimed the lead for the last six. And their 18 pit stops were a factor, too. Only one lasted some 7 minutes to replace a faulty brake pad; all other stops were quick and flawless, 14 of them completed in 1 minute and change each.

Looking back at the Renault A442B, and comparing it to certain things we see in today's endurance races, it would seem like the future arrived two decades ago.

Giclee on heavy canvas, semi-gloss finish, in two sizes.