{"id":10625890,"date":"2026-07-23T10:52:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T08:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acm.mc\/?p=10625890"},"modified":"2026-07-23T10:52:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T08:52:37","slug":"monaco-the-automobile-five-monaco-grand-prix-icons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acm.mc\/en\/monaco-the-automobile-five-monaco-grand-prix-icons\/","title":{"rendered":"Monaco & the Automobile : Five Monaco Grand Prix Icons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Opened on 30 June and open to the public until 6 September 2026 at the Grimaldi Forum, the exhibition Monaco & the Automobile celebrates more than 130 years of automotive history. In this two-part series, we invite you to discover some of the exhibition\u2019s most iconic vehicles that have left their mark on the Automobile Club de Monaco\u2019s events. In this second part, we focus on five legends of the Monaco Grand Prix !<\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the 53 iconic vehicles featured in the exhibition Monaco & the Automobile, from 1893 to the Present Day<\/a>, many have contributed to the legend of the Monaco Grand Prix<\/strong>. Here is a non-exhaustive list of five iconic cars from the race that you can see at the Grimaldi Forum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Bugatti 35B Grand Prix: the pioneer<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s a true piece of history, the oldest Grand Prix car in the exhibition. The Bugatti 35B<\/strong> was the car in which William Grover-Williams<\/strong>, known as \u2018Williams\u2019, won the very first Monaco Grand Prix<\/strong> on 14 April 1929<\/strong>. Organised by Antony Nogh\u00e8s, with the support of Prince Louis II and the racing driver Louis Chiron, the race featured 16 cars racing around the streets of the Principality. After 100 laps and nearly 4 hours of racing, Williams took the win ahead of Bouriano\u2019s Bugatti 35C.<\/p>\n

Originally blue, the Bugatti 35B driven by Williams, a British-licensed driver, was painted British Racing Green (dark green), Great Britain\u2019s national color in motorsports. It was subsequently repainted blue by its owner, as you will see when you visit the exhibition.<\/p>\n

Initially a racing driver, William Grover-Williams went on to become a hero of the Resistance. During the Second World War, he worked for the Special Operations Executive on French soil. However, he was arrested and imprisoned at Sachsenhausen concentration camp in August 1943, before being executed there in March 1945.<\/p>\n

Did you know? On 14 April 1929, the Bugatti 35B No.12 won the first Monaco Grand Prix with an average speed of 80.784 km\/h.<\/div>\n

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Lotus 49B: the revolutionary<\/h4>\n

With the Lotus 49B<\/strong>, Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe achieved a double revolution: the Ford-Cosworth DFV (double four-valve) engine, which supported the chassis, and the first use of a tobacco sponsor\u2019s colours in F1. It was in this car that Graham Hill<\/strong> won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1968<\/strong> and 1969<\/strong>. At the age of 40, the two-time world champion secured his fifth and final victory in the Principality.<\/p>\n

The Lotus 49B became the first single-seater from an official team to feature a livery in the colours of a tobacco company. In keeping with American tradition, the sponsor\u2019s name and colours replaced the traditional national colours. Lotus abandoned British green in favour of this red, gold and white livery in the colours of Gold Leaf.<\/p>\n

Did you know? At the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, won by Graham Hill\u2019s Lotus 49B, only 5 drivers crossed the finish line: G. Hill (Lotus), R. Attwood (BRM), L. Bianchi (Cooper), L. Scarfiotti (Cooper) and D. Hulme (McLaren).<\/div>\n

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Ferrari 126 CK: from V12 to V6<\/h4>\n

Designed by engineer Mauro Forghieri, the Ferrari 126 CK<\/strong> secured Gilles Villeneuve<\/strong>\u2019s victory at Monaco on 31 May 1981<\/strong>. The same chassis, featured in this exhibition, claimed victory once again at the Spanish Grand Prix, held at the Jarama circuit. Above all, this single-seater marked a turning point in the history of the Scuderia: for the first time since its return to the World Championship, Ferrari is replacing its V12 with a turbocharged V6.<\/p>\n

The Canadian driver, a true icon of F1 and adored for his spectacular style, died tragically on 8 May 1982 during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. Just one year after his victory in Monaco, the world of motorsport lost one of its greatest drivers.<\/p>\n

Did you know? Nicola Materazzi, a renowned powertrain engineer at Ferrari, tested two turbochargers in 1980. He finally chose the one manufactured by KKK, and the new engine in the Ferrari 126 CK would produce up to 600 hp.<\/div>\n

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McLaren MP4\/8: the King\u2019s car<\/h4>\n

Loaned personally by Sebastian Vettel, a great admirer of Ayrton Senna, this car is one of the highlights of the exhibition. The McLaren MP4\/8<\/strong> is the single-seater in which Ayrton Senna<\/strong> won his sixth Monaco Grand Prix in 1993<\/strong>, breaking Graham Hill\u2019s record of five victories. The Brazilian was racing at the time on a race-by-race contract worth around one million dollars per Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

Despite the lack of power from his Ford-Cosworth HBD7 V8 engine, particularly when compared to the Williams\u2019 Renault V10, Senna managed to win five rounds of the 1993 World Championship: Brazil, Europe, Monaco, Japan and Australia. Thanks to these results, he finished as runner-up in the World Championship behind Alain Prost (Williams).<\/p>\n

Over the years, Ayrton Senna has become inseparable from the Monaco circuit. His six victories, his charisma, and his spectacular driving style have made him the undisputed icon of the Monaco Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

Did you know? The MP4\/8 was the car in which McLaren won its 100th<\/sup> Formula 1 Grand Prix. Today, the Woking-based team has 203 victories to its name (as at 23 July 2026).<\/div>\n

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Renault R26: the confirmation<\/h4>\n

Following its 2005 world titles, Renault launched its Renault R26<\/strong> in 2006. It built on the legacy of the R25 with an aggressive development programme, notably marked by the introduction of a brand-new engine. In this car, Fernando Alonso<\/strong> won the 2006<\/strong> Monaco Grand Prix ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren) and David Coulthard (Red Bull).<\/p>\n

The weekend was also marked by a controversy during qualifying. On his final lap of Q3, Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), who was virtually in pole position at the time, intentionally stopped at Rascasse, causing a yellow flag and ruining the other drivers\u2019 chances. The German driver was ultimately disqualified: Fernando Alonso inherited pole position ahead of Mark Webber and Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen.<\/p>\n

Renault\u2019s strategy paid off, as the French manufacturer and Fernando Alonso went on to win the Constructors\u2019 and Drivers\u2019 World Championships. The car shown here, which was driven by the Spanish driver during the entire season, is now part of the Renault Heritage collection in the \u00cele-de-France region.<\/p>\n

Did you know? Fernando Alonso claimed his second Drivers\u2019 World Championship title in 2006 with a total of 134 points, 13 points ahead of Michael Schumacher\u2019s Ferrari.<\/div>\n

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Honourable mention must also go to Charles Leclerc<\/strong>\u2019s Ferrari SF-24<\/strong>, the car in which he won his home Grand Prix on 26 May 2024<\/strong>. 93 years after Louis Chiron, he became the second Monegasque driver in history to achieve this feat. Starting from pole position, Leclerc dominated the race and crossed the line as the winner, in front of a jubilant home crowd in the Principality.<\/p>\n

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These five models represent just a small part of the 53 vehicles on display in the exhibition Monaco & the Automobile<\/strong>. Visit the Grimaldi Forum<\/strong> to discover this exceptional collection in its entirety and relive more than 130 years of automotive history.<\/p>\n

Discover five legends who have left their mark on the history of the Rallye Monte-Carlo.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Practical Information<\/h4>\n