Mazda created the 787B, the first Japanese car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991.
The winning 787B was entered by Mazda’s factory racing team and driven by Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and Bertrand Gachot. Its naturally aspirated four-rotor Wankel engine produced a distinctive high-pitched sound and powered the car through the endurance race’s demanding distance and conditions.
The victory was Mazda’s first overall win at Le Mans and remains especially significant because it was the only overall victory by a car using a rotary engine. The 787B wore the famous orange-and-green livery associated with sponsor Renown.
A common mistake is to call the 787B the first Japanese car to compete at Le Mans. Japanese manufacturers and teams had entered earlier. Its specific distinction is winning the race overall, a feat achieved in 1991 before rotary engines were banned from the event’s top category.