Le Mans saw a millionaire challenge the field in a V8 fighter jet for the track
Published on Sep 09, 2025 at 10:13 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Sep 09, 2025 at 1:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Some 75 years ago, Le Mans saw a millionaire challenge the rest of the field in a V8 fighter jet for the racetrack built from a Cadillac.
The Le Mans 24 Hours has always been the ultimate test of endurance, and a wide array of cars have attempted to conquer its challenges over the years.
One car in the 1950s, dubbed Le Monstre, was one of the strangest of them all and was essentially a fighter jet bred for the track with a V8 engine.
Despite not having the pace of the leading contenders, the car and its driver took on Le Mans with incredible tenacity.
DISCOVER OUR SUPERCAR AUCTION SITE – View live auctions on SBX Cars
Le Monstre was a very different kind of race car
The car was the brainchild of Briggs Cunningham, whose full name was Briggs Swift Cunningham II.
Famous for his yacht racing, Cunningham also had a love of cars and had swapped a straight-eight Buick engine into a Mercedes SSK in 1939.
In the 1950s, Cunningham decided to enter Le Mans with a car that was equally as crazy.
The chassis and engine came from a Cadillac, the underpinnings from a 1950 Series 61 and its 331ci V8.
Cunningham and his team removed the body of the car and replaced it with a body designed by Howard Weinman.
Weinman was an aerodynamics specialist at the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation.
The idea was that the car would cut through the air like a fighter down Le Mans’ famous Mulsanne straight.
How did Le Monstre get on at Le Mans?
The V8 fighter jet earned the name Le Monstre, and a second was also built, but with a conventional body.
This car had earned the name Petit Pataud.
Power was around 150-160hp, and it was a very aerodynamic car for the time.
Incredibly, the regular Cadillac ran better than the modified car, finishing 10th come the chequered flag.
However, despite an early off, Le Monstre showed real pace, and it gained a lot down the Mulsanne straight.
Come the end of 24 hours of running, the strange-looking machine had finished in 11th place.
Neither car ran again, but both have survived as part of the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida.
Cunningham passed away in 2003, leaving behind a truly incredible legacy.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
