Le Mans 1988: Inside Out – The Full Video

In 1988, Jaguar returned to the summit of world motorsport and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time since 1957.
This is the full story — told by the people who were there.

Filmed at Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works, this special panel brings together the key figures behind the Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9 victory:

• Winning driver Andy Wallace
• TWR’s first employee and race engineer, Eddie Hinckley
• Chief mechanic Rod Benoit
• Richard West (Silk Cut sponsorship)
• Mike Wilds (Nissan works driver in 1988)
• Sir John Egan, Chairman of Jaguar Cars at the time

They recount the race in full detail — from the three-year TWR masterplan to win Le Mans, to the accidental rear ride-height discovery that made the #2 car the fastest Jaguar on the Mulsanne.

You’ll hear:

– How Andy Wallace went from buying a Formula Ford in a lay-by to winning Le Mans
– Jan Lammers’ pre-race pact to protect the fragile gearbox
– What it really felt like driving 240mph at night with 1980s headlights
– The tyre paranoia, fuel strategy and lift-and-coast calculations
– The broken gearbox mainshaft that nearly cost Jaguar the race
– The instruction to “push it over the line” if the car stopped
– The euphoria of 215,000 fans invading the track
– And how the victory transformed Jaguar — and attracted Ford’s takeover interest
This is not just a race recap.
It’s the inside story of how a British manufacturer rebuilt its pride — and beat Porsche at the world’s greatest motor race.
If you love Group C racing, Silk Cut Jaguars, endurance racing history, or the engineering battles of the 1980s, this is essential viewing.


📍 Filmed at Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works
🏁 Celebrating the Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9 Le Mans victory
📖 Full feature article available via Jaguar Enthusiast Magazine