With his passing Sunday at the age of 88, Alain Delon leaves behind a legacy of one of the most iconic actors in European film. His impact also extends to motorsport as well, even if rather subtle.
A longtime racing fan, Delon was the first actor to be the official starter for the 24 Hours of Le Mans when he waved the French tricolour to start the 1996 race. Although Steve McQueen had served a similar capacity in 1971, that was as the honourary president who accompanied the actual starter, Ambassador Arthur K. Watson.
That was not his first foray at Circuit de la Sarthe either. In 1980, he and his then-girlfriend Mireille Darc attended the race as the sponsor of Scuderia Lancia Corsa‘s Lancia Montecarlo Turbo driven by fellow Frenchman Bernard Darniche, Hans Heyer, and Teo Fabi. However, the team was knocked out by an engine failure.
The sponsorship was through Parfums Alain Delon, a perfume brand that Delon owned. He had started to expand into various business interests during the 1970s thanks to his growing fame in cinema including watches, clothing, and sunglasses.
A year after Le Mans, Delon’s own portrait appeared on the AMC Eagle of Jean-Pierre Kurrer as Parfums Alain Delon once again served as a car sponsor. French artist and sculptor Alain Aslan painted Delon’s image on the hood of the car. Much like the Lancia at Le Mans, however, Kurrer did not finish the race. 1981 was Kurrer’s third Dakar after running the first two editions in a Cournil, whose creator’s son and boss Alain Cournil passed away a week before Delon.
Delon starred in over eight movies during his career over six decades, including Purple Noon, Le Samouraï, and Rocco and His Brothers. He was also widely touted as one of the biggest sex symbols of his era.