Max Mimoun Cohen-Olivar[1] (30 April 1945 – 21 May 2018) was a Moroccan racing driver.[2] He is considered to be one of the greatest Moroccan racing drivers of all time. He competed extensively in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and at the time of his final appearance in 2001 he was only the ninth driver to start the race 20 or more times.[3] The others were Henri Pescarolo, Bob Wollek, Yojiro Terada, Derek Bell, François Migault, Claude Ballot-Léna, Claude Haldi and Pierre Yver.

Max Cohen-Olivar
NationalityMorocco Moroccan
Born(1945-04-30)30 April 1945
Casablanca, Morocco
Died21 May 2018(2018-05-21) (aged 73)
Paris, France

Le Mans

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Cohen-Olivar (right) at Le Mans in 1991.

His first appearance in the race was in 1971, when he partnered André Wicky in the Swiss driver's own Porsche 908. The gearbox failed in the twentieth hour, with the pair in 10th place in the race and second in their class. The Wicky car failed to start the race the following year, but they had better luck in 1973 as they were joined by the Swiss driver Philippe Carron. The trio were the slowest of all the finishers, 21st on the road and 9th in class. For 1974 Wicky ran a De Tomaso Pantera for Cohen-Olivar and Carron, but the duo retired in the fourth hour of the race. In 1975 Cohen-Olivar drove the lead Wicky Porsche, alongside Carron and Frenchman Joël Brachet. They were uncompetitive again, before the clutch failed in the seventeenth hour, causing Cohen-Olivar's third retirement in four Le Mans entries.

Wicky entered a De Tomaso Pantera for Cohen-Olivar, Jacques Marché and Martial Delalande for the 1976 race but the trio did not start the race. In 1977 Cohen-Olivar joined the French ROC (Racing Organisation Course) entry, driving a Chevron B36 alongside Alain Flotard and Michel Dubois. The car once again failed to make the finish, dropping out in the eighteenth hour. ROC ran two B36s in 1978, and while the other car managed to win the S 2.0 class, the car Cohen-Olivar shared with Frenchmen Jacques Henry and Albert Dufrene suffered a similar fate to the previous year, again retiring in the eighteenth hour, this time with an engine failure.

For 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans, Cohen-Olivar joined up with a new French entry under the Lambretta banner, sharing a Lola T298 with Pierre Yver and Michel Elkoubi. This combination gave Cohen-Olivar his first finish since 1973, and even some silverware, as they finished 21st overall and third in the S 2.0 class.

Despite this success, the team did not enter the race again, and it wasn't until 1981 that Cohen-Olivar was able to race at Le Mans again. He again raced a T298, this time owned by Frenchman Jean-Marie Lemerle. The car was co-piloted by Lemerle and his fellow Frenchman Alain Levié. Another uncompetitive race for Cohen-Olivar ended in the seventeenth hour when the car's electrics failed. He remained with Lemerle in 1982, who with support from Italian firm Sivama Motor was able to run a new car, a Lancia Beta Monte Carlo. Levié was replaced in the team by American Joe Castellano, and the trio had much better luck than the previous year, with 12th overall and second in class. This 12th place would remain Cohen-Olivar's best ever result in the race.[3]

Racing record

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Complete World Sportscar Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos. Pts
1970 Wicky Racing Team S
2.0
Porsche 910 Porsche Typ 901/21 2.0 F6 DAY SEB BRH MNZ TGA SPA NÜR LMS GLN ÖST
DNS
[N 1]
1971 Wicky Racing Team P
3.0
Porsche 908/02 Porsche 908 3.0 F8 BUE DAY SEB BRH MNZ SPA TGA NÜR LMS
Ret
ÖST GLN [N 1]
1972 Wicky Racing Team S
3.0
Porsche 908/02 Porsche 908 3.0 F8 BUE DAY SEB BRH MNZ SPA TGA NÜR LMS
DNS
ÖST [N 1]
1973 Wicky Racing Team S
3.0
Porsche 908/02 Porsche 908 3.0 F8 DAY VAL DIJ
12
MNZ
Ret
SPA TGA NÜR LMS
21
ÖST GLN [N 1]
1974 Supercar S
2.0
Lola T294 Ford Cosworth FVC L4 MNZ
Ret
SPA NÜR IMO [N 1]
Wicky Racing Team GT De Tomaso Pantera Ford 5.8 V8 LMS
Ret
ÖST GLN LEC BRH KYA
1977 S
2.0
Lola T294 Ford Cosworth BDG L4 DIJ MNZ VAL PER EST LEC
Ret
IMO SAL [N 2]
1979 Lambretta S.A.F.D. S
2.0
Lola T298 BMW M12 2.0 L4 DAY MUG DIJ
Ret
SIL NÜR PER GLN BRH VAL [N 1]
1980 Jean-Marie Lemerle S
2.0
Lola T298 ROC-Chrysler-Simca 2.0 L4 DAY BRH MUG MNZ SIL NÜR LMS
DNQ
GLN MOS VAL DIJ
DNS
[N 1]
1981 Jean-Marie Lemerle S
2.0
Lola T298 BMW M12 2.0 L4 DAY SEB MUG MNZ RSD SIL NÜR LMS
Ret
PER DAY GLN SPA MOS ROA BRH NC 0
1982 Jean-Marie Lemerle Gr.5 Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Lancia 1.4 L4t MNZ SIL NÜR LMS
12
SPA MUG FUJ BRH NC 0
1983 Scuderia Sivama Motor C Lancia LC1 Lancia 1.4 L4t MNZ SIL NÜR LMS
NC
SPA FUJ KYA NC 0
1984 Helmut Gall B BMW M1 BMW M88 3.5 L6 MNZ SIL
Ret
LMS NC 0
Hubert Striebig C2 Sthemo SMC2 NÜR
NC
SPA
Ret
IMO
Ret
FUJ KYA SAN
John Bartlett C1 Lola T610 Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 BRH
14
MOS
1985 Bartlett Racing C2 Chevron B62 Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 MUG MNZ SIL LMS
Ret
HOC
16
MOS
Ret
SPA
Ret
BRH
Ret
FUJ SHA NC 0
1986 Bartlett Racing C2 Chevron B62 Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 MNZ
DNS
65th 3
Bardon DB1 SIL
Ret
BRH
18
Porsche Kremer Racing C1 Porsche 956 Porsche Type 935/76 2.6 F6t LMS
Ret
NOR
Roy Baker Racing Tiga C2 Tiga GC285 Ford Cosworth BDT 1.8 L4t JER
10
SPA
Ret
FUJ
Tiga GC286 NÜR
Ret
1987 John Bartlett Racing C2 Bardon DB1 Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 JAR JER
DNQ
MNZ NC 0
Roy Baker Racing Tiga GC286 SIL
Ret
NÜR
15
SPA FUJ
Charles Ivey Racing Tiga GC287 Porsche Type 935/76 2.6 F6t LMS
Ret
NOR BRH
1988 Ark Racing C2 Ceekar 83J-1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 JER
DNS
NC 0
Swiss Team Salamin C1 Porsche 962C Porsche Type 935/79 2.8 F6t JAR
15
SIL
7
Automobiles Louis Descartes C2 ALD 04 BMW M88 3.5 L6 MNZ
Ret
Primagaz Competition Cougar C12 Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8 LMS
NC
BRN
Roy Baker Racing Tiga GC286 BRH
NC
NÜR SPA
Ret
FUJ SAN
1989 Swiss Team Salamin C1 Porsche 962C Porsche Type 935 3.0 F6t SUZ DIJ
22
NÜR
Ret
DON
16
SPA
16
MEX NC 0
Team Lee-Davey JAR
16
BRH
1990 Swiss Team Salamin C Porsche 962C Porsche Type 935 3.0 F6t SUZ MNZ SIL SPA DIJ NÜR
20
DON
19
CGV
20
MEX
Ret
NC 0
1991 Swiss Team Salamin C2 Porsche 962C Porsche Type 935 3.2 F6t SUZ
9
LMS
Ret
NÜR MAG MEX AUT 54th 2
Porsche Type 935 3.0 F6t MNZ
Ret
SIL
NC
1992 Equipe Alméras-Chotard C3 Porsche 962C Porsche Type 935 3.0 F6t MNZ SIL LMS
Ret
DON SUZ MAG NC 0
Footnotes
  1. ^ a b c d e f g No drivers' Championship.
  2. ^ In 1976 and 1977 the World Championship was divided into two series that ran simultaneously but separately: The World Sportscar Championship and the World Championship for Makes.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1971   Wicky Racing Team   André Wicky Porsche 908/02 P
3.0
DNF DNF
1972   Wicky Racing Team   André Wicky
  Walter Brun
Porsche 908/02 S
3.0
- DNS DNS
1973   Wicky Racing Team   André Wicky
  Philippe Carron
Porsche 908/02 S
3.0
270 21st 9th
1974   Wicky Racing Team   Philippe Carron De Tomaso Pantera-Ford GT 16 DNF DNF
1975   Wicky Racing Team   Philippe Carron
  Joël Brachet
Porsche 908/02 S
3.0
161 DNF DNF
1976   Wicky Racing Team   Jacques Marché
  Martial Delalande
De Tomaso Pantera-Ford GTX - DNS DNS
1977   Société R.O.C.   Alain Flotard
  Michel Dubois
Chevron B36-ROC-Chrysler S
2.0
176 DNF DNF
1978   R.O.C. La Pierre du Nord   Jacques Henry
  Albert Dufrene
Chevron B36-ROC-Chrysler S
2.0
195 DNF DNF
1979   Lambretta S.A.F.D.   Pierre Yver
  Michel Elkoubi
Lola T298-BMW S
2.0
248 21st 3rd
1980   Jean-Marie Lemerle   Jean-Marie Lemerle Lola T298-ROC-Talbot S
2.0
- DNQ DNQ
1981   Jean-Marie Lemerle   Jean-Marie Lemerle
  Alain Levié
Lola T298-BMW S
2.0
104 DNF DNF
1982   Jean-Marie Lemerle   Jean-Marie Lemerle
  Joe Castellano
Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Gr.5 295 12th 2nd
1983   Scuderia Sivama Motor   Oscar Larrauri
  Massimo Sigala
Lancia LC1 C 217 NC NC
1985   Goodmands Sound
  Bartlett Chevron Racing
  Richard Jones
  Robin Smith
Chevron B62-Ford Cosworth C2 19 DNF DNF
1986   Porsche Kremer Racing   Pierre Yver
  Hubert Striebig
Porsche 956 C1 160 DNF DNF
1987   Charles Ivey Racing   John Cooper
  Tom Dodd-Noble
Tiga GC287-Porsche C2 224 DNF DNF
1988   Primagaz Competition   Patrick de Radiguès Cougar C12-Ford Cosworth C2 273 NC NC
1989   Tiga Race Team   John Sheldon
  Robin Donovan
Tiga GC289-Ford Cosworth C2 126 DNF DNF
1990   Team Davey   Giovanni Lavaggi
  Tim Lee-Davey
Porsche 962C C1 306 19th 19th
1991   Team Salamin Primagaz   Antoine Salamin
  Marcel Tarrès
Porsche 962C C2 101 DNF DNF
1992   Equipe Alméras-Chotard   Jean-Marie Alméras
  Jacques Alméras
Porsche 962C C3 85 DNF DNF
2000   Seikel Motorsport   Michel Neugarten
  Tony Burgess
Porsche 911 GT3-R GT 302 18th 3rd
2001   Seikel Motorsport   Tony Burgess
  Andrew Bagnall
Porsche 911 GT3-RS GT 272 12th 6th
Source:[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Pilote des 24 heures du Mans : Max Mimoun Cohen-Olivar". www.24h-en-piste.com (in French). Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  2. ^ "MAX COHEN-OLIVAR (1945-2018) : DÉCÈS DU CHAMPION AUTOMOBILE MAROCAIN". theautomobilist.fr (in French). Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Max Cohen-Olivar: 1945-2018". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  4. ^ "All Results of Max Cohen-Olivar". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
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