• One of just three M482 chassis constructed by Le Mans-based Automobiles Jean Rondeau
• Driven by endurance racing legends Henri Pescarolo and Thierry Boutsen at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans
• Impeccably preserved and restored by former Rondeau technician Philippe Belou over a 20-year period
• Accompanied by FIA HTP paperwork and spares package
• Eligible for historic racing events including Le Mans Classic and Classic 24 Hour at Daytona

As the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrates its centenary, few stories from its illustrious past are more compelling than that of Jean Rondeau. A Le Mans native, the Frenchman established his fledgling race team in 1976, producing Sports Prototypes bearing the name of his sponsor, Inaltera, a French interior furnishings company.

Class wins at the Circuit de la Sarthe ensued in 1976 and 1977, though at that point the departure of the sponsor resulted in the team’s name changing simply to Rondeau. A further Le Mans class win followed in 1979 before Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Rondeau himself piloted their M379B to a memorable overall victory in 1980; the first—and likely only ever—time the famous French race had been won by a driver in a car bearing their own name.

Designed jointly by chassis expert Don Foster and aerodynamicist Max Sardou, the M482 was the first Rondeau to have been conceived specifically as a Group C car. It represented the company’s first foray into both monocoque design and ground effect technology. Its twin-Venturi tunnels—incorporating lessons learned from Sardou’s earlier Lola T600 design—necessitated an outlandish “triple sponson” rear bodywork section. A long-stroke 3.9-litre Ford DFV engine operated as a stressed unit in conjunction with a five-speed Hewland VG5 gearbox, while double-wishbone suspension was employed conventionally at the front and via rocker arms at the rear.

An ignominious debut for the M482 at the 1982 6 Hours of Silverstone, however, alongside ongoing budgetary issues led to the team reluctantly withdrawing from racing mid-season; the entire M482 project was sold to Ford Concessionnaires France. Two further chassis, including 002—the car offered here—were constructed in early-1983, with all three cars readied to race at Le Mans in June.

Boasting a formidable driver line up—including then three-time Le Mans winner, Henri Pescarolo, and future Formula 1 star, Thierry Boutsen, at the wheel of chassis 002—the team qualified strongly, with this car leading the charge in an excellent 16th position. However, the race proved a different story, with two sister cars retiring due to engine maladies after just 12 and 90 laps respectively. Thereafter, the team’s hopes rested with chassis 002, although regrettably yet another engine failure eliminated the car just after half-distance.

Remarkably, Le Mans would prove to be both this car’s race debut and its swansong. Initially the car was retained by Rondeau for modification to accept one of the all-conquering Porsche 956 powertrains, but once again funding was lacking and the project was reluctantly shelved. Thereafter it was acquired, appropriately, by former Rondeau team member Philippe Belou, in whose custody it was meticulously restored, and remained for almost 20 years.

Acquired by the vendor in 2018, chassis 002 has covered only minimal testing mileage since, and is accompanied by FIA Historic Technical Passport paperwork. Furthermore, the car is supplemented by a spares package that includes various original bodywork and suspension components, a spare Cosworth DFV engine—albeit one requiring remedial attention—and four spare sets of wheels. Under instruction from the consigning owner, in recent years the car has been race prepared by Racetivity, the tuning company based near Toulouse. This included a rebuild of the clutch and gearbox, the replacement of selected electrical components, and work to improve driver ergonomics. Ideally suited to the ever-popular historic events, such as those contested at Le Mans Classic, this Rondeau offers a fascinating insight into one of Le Mans’ great “what if” stories, not to mention one of the event’s pluckiest and most idiosyncratic constructors.

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lm23.