Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

05/22/2026

From our archives.

This sign was used as a timetable for the Briggs Cunningham team at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. It served as a daily reference for race week, listing the schedule and instructions for each day leading up to the race.

05/20/2026

To celebrate the ACO’s 120th anniversary, Club ACO is hosting 24 Hours of Le Mans watch parties on Saturday Saturday 13 June in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Local members can look forward to an immersive experience in a venue dedicated to motoring, with live race coverage, entertainment and expert commentary, all in a totally Le Mans-style spirit.

https://bit.ly/4dCeRLQ

05/19/2026

In 1954, Cunningham gave American sports car racing one of its most important results at Le Mans.

The car was the Cunningham C-4R, a Chrysler powered roadster built by Briggs Cunningham’s team in their long effort to win Le Mans with an American car and American drivers. Only two open C-4R roadsters were built, along with one coupe.

The Simeone Museum’s car finished third overall at Le Mans in 1954 and won its class, the first class victory at Le Mans for an American manufacturer. It represented the high point of Cunningham’s independent campaign before the factory backed Ford effort of the 1960s.

05/18/2026

In 1966, Ford arrived at Le Mans determined to defeat Ferrari.

The car was the Ford GT40 Mark II, developed after years of setbacks, redesigns, and relentless testing. Built around American V8 power and refined for endurance racing, the Mark II became the machine that finally brought Ford to the front at Le Mans.

The Simeone Museum’s car ran in the 1966 race with Alan Mann Racing, driven by Sir John Whitmore and Frank Gardner. Its only competition appearance came in one of the most important races in American motorsport history, the year Ford swept Le Mans with a 1, 2, 3 finish.

Today, it remains one of the most original GT40s in existence, a rare survivor from the moment American ambition changed endurance racing.

05/16/2026

In 1921, Duesenberg carried American engineering to Le Mans for the first postwar French Grand Prix.

The car was the Duesenberg 183 Grand Prix, a purpose built racing machine created around the new 183 cubic inch formula. Only three raced at Le Mans, and the Simeone Museum’s car, number 16, was one of them.

The 1921 race became a landmark in American racing history when Jimmy Murphy’s sister car won outright, proving that an American car could defeat Europe’s best on European roads. The Simeone Museum’s car later returned to the United States and finished second in the 1922 Indianapolis 500.

Today, it stands as a rare link between Le Mans and Indianapolis, and as an early expression of the museum’s central idea, that competition drives progress.

05/16/2026

On June 13–14, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum goes 24 hours.On June 13–14, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum goes 24 hours. Le Mans live on 10 screens, race car demonstrations, simulators, 24 hours of programming. Historic race cars on the floor. ACO Lounge. Dawn patrol at 6AM.

Tickets at the link.

05/15/2026

In 1937, Bugatti achieved its first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The car was the Type 57G Tank, a streamlined sports racing car developed from Bugatti’s Type 57 platform and shaped by the demands of endurance competition. Only three were built, and the Simeone Museum’s example is the only one known to survive.

Before Le Mans, this car had already won at Montlhéry and Reims and set a series of international speed records. At Le Mans, driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist, it secured one of the most important victories in Bugatti history.

Today, the 57G Tank stands as both a masterpiece of French engineering and a rare survivor from one of racing’s most significant eras. Its presence in the collection reflects the museum’s central idea, that competition drives progress.

05/14/2026

to June 10, 2023 - 24 Heures du Simeone: 100th Anniversary of Le Mans

05/12/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia Museum Partners with Le Mans Organizer for Fourth Annual 24 Heures du Simeone, Celebrating Americans at the Circuit de la Sarthe

The event runs June 13-14 concurrent with the actual race in France, featuring live check-ins from Le Mans, historic driver interviews, and the unveiling of a new collection addition.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum will host the fourth annual 24 Heures du Simeone on June 13-14, 2026, co-presented with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the French organization that has produced the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1923.

This year's theme, "The Americans at Le Mans," examines the history of American participation at the Circuit de la Sarthe, from the earliest American entries in the 1920s through the defining campaigns of the 1960s. The program moves chronologically through that history, with more than 40 demonstrations organized around figures including Briggs Cunningham, John Fitch, Phil Hill, and Carroll Shelby, with cars of the type they raced.

Live programming will include interviews with historic drivers and competitors, and real-time check-ins from drivers and engineers on the ground at Le Mans as the race unfolds. The weekend will also mark the public unveiling of the latest addition to the Simeone permanent collection. The museum has not disclosed what the acquisition is, describing it only as a significant addition to one of the world's great collections of racing sports cars.

The ACO's partnership, now in its second consecutive year, brings an expanded presence to the event: three racing simulators, a custom Le Mans trivia game, an ACO Members Lounge, exclusive swag bags for new ACO members, and a raffle for WEC Lone Star Le Mans weekend tickets. Live coverage of the race streams throughout the museum for the full 24-hour duration.

"The Americans at Le Mans is a story about ambition and persistence," said Kevin Kelly, Executive Director of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. "It's about individuals -- Briggs Cunningham, John Fitch, Phil Hill, Carroll Shelby -- who believed they belonged at the greatest race in the world. We're telling that story with the cars that wrote that history."

The event takes place during America's 250th anniversary summer, lending particular context to a program centered on American achievement in international motorsport. The event draws more than a thousand guests over the course of the weekend. Overnight visitors are welcome to bring sleeping bags and tents and remain on site for the full event.

General admission is $30 for guests 12 and older. ACO members receive discounted admission at $17. Children under 12 are admitted free. Free parking is available on site. Photography is encouraged throughout.

EVENT DETAILS

What: 24 Heures du Simeone: The Americans at Le Mans
When: Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM through Sunday, June 14, 2026
Where: Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, 6825-31 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19153
Tickets: General Admission $30 (ages 12+) | ACO Members $17 | Children under 12 free
Information: simeonemuseum (dot) com | 215-365-7233

The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum houses one of the world's greatest collections of racing sports cars, with more than 75 historically significant automobiles spanning racing history from 1907 to the 2000s. The museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit the link below.

24 hours. 40 plus historic cars. Live Le Mans coverage. The American story at Le Mans, told through the Simeone Museum collection.