Autoworld Museum, Brussels, Belgium
Until January 26, 2025
Jacky Ickx is certainly Belgium’s most famous racing driver, and a driver known the world over. For his 80th birthday (January 1, 2025), Autoworld Brussels is paying tribute to him with an original anniversary exhibition. Jacky was one of the most eclectic drivers in motorsport history. He raced successfully in touring cars, single-seaters, endurance, rally-raid, not forgetting his early days in motorcycle trials. It would therefore have been difficult to assemble all his racing cars, as there were so many of them. Autoworld has chosen an original formula, presenting most of the cars he drove in miniature form! There are, however, 2 “life-size” racing vehicles, a Zundapp trial motorcycle and a Ford GT 40.
Jacky Ickx was born with a passion for motor sports, and began with motorbike trials, becoming Belgian champion twice in 1963 and 1965, ahead of future world champion Roger de Coster. Jacky also began to take part in hill-climb races in cars, and to win. Too young to race motorcycles on the racetracks, he turned to touring cars, and this was the start of a career that would take him to the pinnacle of motor sport.
He won on roads and tracks, notably with Ford Lotus Cortina and Ford Mustang, and later with BMWs. He won prestigious class events such as the 24 Hours of Spa and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Jacky Ickx would later return occasionally to this type of car, with Porsche 911 GT3, Audi DTM… A showcase displays his multiple touring “steeds”.
His victories in touring cars caught Ken Tyrrell attention, who offered him a drive in his F2 team. In 1967, the German F1 GP at the Nürburgring accepted F2s to complete the starting grid, and Jacky qualified in 3rd position with his modest F2. He was European F2 Champion that year and took his first steps in F1. In 1968, he was entered by Ferrari in F2 and F1 and won his first GP in Rouen (France). Jacky Ickx was twice runner-up in the Formula 1 World Championship, with a total of 8 victories for Ferrari and Brabham. He also raced for McLaren, Lotus and Ligier, and all these F2 and F1 single-seaters can be found in a display case, along with a 2-volume comic book that retraces his career. The Ferraris are featured prominently, including the F312 he drove to victory in Rouen in 1968.
Demonstrating his eclecticism, he had already begun a parallel career in endurance racing, winning several races as early as 1967 at Montlhéry, Kyalami and Spa. One of his most memorable victories was undoubtedly the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours with Jackie Oliver. That weekend, Jacky Ickx made history. At the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the cars were lined up in a herringbone formation, the drivers being on the opposite side of the track, and at the signal they run to their cars, jump in and start off in rush, often without having fastened their seatbelts. In the event of an accident on the first lap, the consequences were often dramatic, as was the case in that year’s event, where a driver was ejected in an accident on the first lap.
Opposed to this procedure for safety reasons, Jacky Ickx walks to his car, settles in quietly, buckles his seatbelt and consequently starts last. Although the Belgian driver made an impression at the start, this didn’t prevent him from winning the race after a breathless finish and a lead of just 120 meters over Hermann-Larousse’s Porsche 908. Jacky Ickx became famous, as much for his gesture at the start as for his breathtaking victory. This 37th edition was the last to feature the herringbone layout, and the starting procedure was changed for the following edition. The Ford GT 40 on display is an exact replica of the victorious N°6, which also features prominently in the “Endurance” showcase.
Ickx went on to win more than 50 endurance races in his career, first with the Ferrari 312 and 512, then with Matra, Alfa Romeo and Mirage Ford when Ferrari retired from endurance racing. The Mirage Ford enabled him to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the 2nd time in 1975, before he signed up with Porsche, which gave him 4 further victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1976, 1977, 1981 and 1982), becoming the record holder for victories and earning the honorary title of Mr. Le Mans, before Tom Kristensen in turn beat the record. Jacky Ickx was also twice endurance world champion with Porsche, in 1982 and 1983. Meanwhile, he also raced in North America, winning the 1979 CanAM series title in a Chevrolet Lola.
The Paris-Dakar Rally raid was a completely different terrain, and Ickx entered it in 1981 with an unlikely team-mate, the French actor Claude Brasseur. The 1st attempt on a Citroën CX ended in abandonment, the car not being suited to this type of terrain. They returned the following year with a more robust Mercedes G-Class and continued their apprenticeship. In 1983, the Ickx-Brasseur duo won, again on a Mercedes G-Class, but this time seriously prepared for the pitfalls of the Dakar.
After this victory, Ickx (a Porsche endurance driver at that time) discovered a Porsche 911 prototype equipped with all-wheel drive. Seduced by the idea, he pushed Porsche to adapt a 911 4×4 for the Dakar. A brilliant idea, as Porsche won Dakar twice in 1984 and 1986. Still with Brasseur as co-driver, Jacky Ickx was part of Porsche’s Paris-Dakar adventure, finishing second in 1986. Having acquired a taste for the desert and wide-open spaces, he took part in other rally-raids, such as the Pharaons in Egypt or the Bajas, on Lada, Peugeot or Toyota.
Touring cars, F2 and F1 single-seaters, sprint and endurance in Sport-Prototypes, CanAm on circuit, marathons and road rallies, rally-raids – it’s hard to find another driver who has had such a varied career, all the more so as he has racked up victories in all these fields. It was well worth an anniversary exhibition!
The photos on this page belong to Automobile-Museums, no right of reproduction without Automobile-Museums express permission.