Le Monstre - The Revs Institute

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Cadillac 'Le Monstre' and 'Petit Pataud' to
return to France for Le Mans Classic
Graham Kozak 9:13 am, June 26, 2012
Vintage-motorsports enthusiasts will be able to inspect two very special Cadillacs from the Collier Collection at the
upcoming Le Mans Classic, July 6-8. The annual event takes place in Le Mans, France, and features 24 vehicles that
have competed in past runnings of the legendary endurance race.
The pair of Cadillacs that Briggs Cunningham fielded in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans are very much alike
mechanically. Both boast a powerful Cadillac V8 and ride on a Cadillac Series 61 chassis. But the bodywork is where
the similarities end.
The first Cadillac, nicknamed “Petit Pataud,” is an essentially stock 1951 Series 61 coupe with typically chrome-laden
postwar American styling.
The second car, known as “Le Monstre,” has more of a “form follows function” aesthetic. Cunningham sacrificed the
Cadillac's looks in the pursuit of performance, and the car's stock chassis and lightly modified engine is concealed by a
custom aerodynamic body designed and built out of aluminum with assistance from the Grumman aircraft company.
The result is less than elegant, and the car's unconventional looks earned it the less-than-flattering moniker of the
“Monster.” Despite a series of mechanical setbacks and 20 minutes spent stuck in a sandbank, the car completed the
race and earned an impressive 11th place—right behind the 10th-place Petit Pataud.
The two Cadillacs now reside in the Revs Institute's Collier Collection in Naples, Fla., and their appearance in the Le
Mans Classic presents European racing fans with a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the vehicles.
Find out more about the Collier Collection at the Revs Institute homepage, and learn more about the upcoming Le Mans
Classic here.

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Le Mans Classic
The Cadillac dubbed "Le Monstre" prior to the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans
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