last update: September 20, currently 14 models in this collection
Disclaimer: I do not smoke and surely do not want to promote tobacco. But neither do I ignore the fact that the tobacco industry has been quite good for motorsport in the past. So, I show the cars and models here as they were; with tobacco advertising.
Gitanes and Gauloises were part of the French state-owned tobacco company SEITA. It those years, Gitanes was often seen on French racing cars such as the Le Mans Matra-Simcas and the Ligier Formula 1 team. Gauloises succeeded Gitanes as sponsor in Formula 1 and was seen on Dakar cars also. The French government banned tobacco advertising long time ago and also sold their stake in SEITA.
Gitanes @ Le Mans
1973 Le Mans 24h, Lola T282. The new Lola T282, with its airbox and rear wing was much more sophisticated than the simple T280. The Cosworth powered car could not match the speed of the Ferrari’s and Matra’s ans had to retire.
#7 Reine Wisell (
S) / Jean-Louis Lafosse (F) /Hughes de Fierlant (B) – DNF
Lola T282 – 3.0 liter Ford Cosworth DFV V8 90º, approx. 445 hp. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #HU06.
- BIZARRE BZ143 (resin)
1974 Le Mans 24h Matra-Simca 670B. Matra competed in sportscars for a few years, but always in the shadow of the 5-liter Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512. When these cars disappeared the 3-liter Matra (with its howling 12-cylinder F1 engine) won Le Mans three times in a row. All times with Henri Pescarolo who had Gérard Larrousse as a teammate the last two wins. 1974 Was their last year and the first with Gitanes sponsorship.
#7 Henri Pescarolo (F) / Gérard Larrousse (F) – 1st
#8 Bob Wollek (F) / Jean-Pierre Jaussaud (F
) / Jose Dolhem (F) – DNF / engine
Matra-Simca 670B – 3.0 liter Matra MS73 V12 60º, approx. 460 hp. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnrs. 670B-06 (#7) and 670B-02 (#8)
- IXO LMC 013 (#7) & IXO LMC 014 (diecast)
1975 Le Mans 24h, Ligier JS2. In 1974 Ligier drove with the JS2 GT-car in the prototype class. With its less powerful and unreliable Maserati engine it was no potential winner. But in 1975 when competition was weak and the Ligier used a Cosworth V8 Formula 1 engine, they made it to second place.
#5 Jean-Louis Lafosse (F) / Guy Chasseuil (F) – 2nd
Ligier JS2 – 3.0 liter Ford Cosworth DFV V8 90º, approx. 445 hp. Steel space frame, chassisnr. .
- SPARK S0550 (resin)
1976 Le Mans 24h, BMW 3.5 CSL. The new group 5 rules were a perfect match for Porsche. They developed the 935 out of the 911 turbo (930) streetcar. Their main competitor were the BMW CSL’s. The group 5 versions used the powerful 24 valve engine but still were not as strong as the turbo charged Porsches.
#42 Sam Posey (USA) / Harald Grohs (D) /Hughes de Fierlant (B) – 10th / 4th Group 5
Alpina BMW 3.5 CSL (E9) – 3.5 liter BMW M49/3 straight-6, approx. 470 hp. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #2275988
- SPARK S1562 (resin)
1977 Le Mans, Mirage-Renault M8. Two Gitanes sponsored Mirages with the Renault V6 turbo engines were support for the factory Alpines. One failed to finish but the #10 car got on the podium as the only Renault powered prototype.
#10 Vern Schuppan (NZ) / Jean Pierre Jarier (F) – 2nd
GTC Mirage M8 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º turbo, approx. 550 hp. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. Mirage #802
- SPARK STME05 (resin)
1978 Le Mans 1978, Mirage-Renault M9. Just as in the previous year, Renault provided Mirage with engines. Unfortunately, it was the engine that blew up on the #11 Mirage. The #10 car did finish the race, but way back in 10th place. The Mirage M9’s had a long-tail bodywork which made them look quite differently from last year’s car which made them approximately 1 second per lap quicker.
#11 Michel Leclère (F) / Sam Posey (USA) – DNF / engine
GTC Mirage M9 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º turbo, approx. 550 hp. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. Mirage #801
- SPARK S0312 (resin)
Touring cars & GT
1974 European Touring Car Championship, BMW 3.0 CSL. Belgian team Précision Liegeoise competed in the 1974 European Championship races with their pale blue BMW. Alain Peltier and Jean-Louis Lafosse won twice using #1. At Salzburgring using #9, Peltier drove together with Hughes de Fierlant. The #12 is from the race at Zandvoort. Peltier finished 2nd in the championship behind Hans Heyer who drove the division 1 Zakspeed Ford Escort.
#9 Alain Peltier (B) / Hughes de Fierlant (B) – 3rd Salzburgring
Précision Liegeoise BMW 3.0 CSL (E9) – 3.2 liter BMW M30B32 straight-6, approx. 340 hp. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #2275998
- DETAIL CARS 436 (diecast)
1982 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW 528i. In 1982 BMW used the 4-door saloon 528i in the European Touring Car Championship. Not really a racing car at first sight, but neither was the competition: Ford Capri 3.0S, Camaro, Opel Monza 3.0E, Mazda RX-7 and Alfetta GTV. TWR got the Jaguar XJS homologated, and it was much faster than the BMW’s but not as reliable. BMW 528i’s took first 6 places, now that is reliability. The Bastos BMW won the race. This one with local hero Tassin, F1 driver Jarier and actor Trintignant finished 2nd.
#26 Thierry Tassin (B) / Jean-Louis Trintignant (B
) /Jean-Pierre Jarier (
B) – 2nd
Waterloo Motors BMW 528i (E28) – 2.8 liter BMW M30B28 straight-6, approx. 240 hp. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown
- NEO 45667 (resin)
1983 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW 635 CSi. The BMW 635 CSi was the most popular car in the European Touring Car Championship. It showed because no less than 16 BMW 635’s arrived at the start of the 24 hour race and also 3 older 528i’s. With these numbers it doesn’t matter if some break down and retire, which was the case. There are always some that make it to the finish. The Bastos BMW of JUMA Racing won by 8 laps over a similar car of Team Schnitzer. This fast Gitanes BMW qualified 5th but had to retire due to a broken rim early in the race.
#25 Dany Snobeck (F) / Alain Cudini (F) / Alain Peltier (B) – DNF
Waterloo Motors BMW 635 CSi (E24) – 3.5 liter BMW M30B35 straight-6, approx. 310 hp. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown
- SPARK SB 065 #198 / 500 pcs (resin)
1995 BPR Series Jarama 6h , Porsche 911 GT2 evo. The BPR series grew and got more and more professional. Larbre Competition took part with this Porsche GT2 in GT1 specs (more power, improved aerodynamics and braking and wider tyres). They took three second places in the first three races of the season. It raced this season also in FATurbo colors.
#68 Bob Wollek () / Christophe Bouchut () / Jean-Pierre Jarier – 3rd
Larbre Competition Porsche 911 GT2 evo (993) – 3.6 liter Porsche M64/81 flat-6 twin turbo, approx. 550 hp. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #ZTS393066
- VITESSE V 065E (diecast)
Gauloises @ Dakar
2000 Paris – Dakar – Cairo, Schlesser Buggy. Racing driver Schlesser switched from Le Mans prototypes to the desert. He developed his 2-wheel drive buggy that is much lighter than the big 4×4’s. In 1999 and 2000 he wins Dakar with this car.
#250 Jean Louis Schlesser (F) / Henri Magne (F) – 1st
Schlesser Renault Mégane Buggy – 3.0 liter Renault V6, approx. 280 hp. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Race Car Dynamics #unknown
- ALTAYA #unknown (non-tobacco version)
2005 Barcelona – Dakar, DAF CF75 FAV4x4. Jan de Rooy drove many Dakars in the 1980’s, winning in 1987 with his mighty DAF TwinTurbo II. After a 13 year break is back, this year together with his son Gerard in the same team. Father and son De Rooy were aiming for a podium in 2005, but were beaten by the Russian Kamaz. Jan finished 6th and Gerard 5th.
#521 Jan de Rooy (NL) / Davy Colebunders (B) / Clim Smulders (NL) – 6th
Team De Rooy DAF CF75 FAV 4×4 – 12.6 liter DAF XEC straight-6 turbodiesel, 800 hp. Steel chassis, chasing. unknown
- DIAMOND LABEL 62865 non-tobacco dirty version (plastic)
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