Photo :

 

This prototype was born of the visionary imagination of Jim Hall. In the early sixties the Texas oil billionaire started the construction of prototypes, named after the chaparral bird of Texas (also prevalent in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico) which notably inspired volatile cartoon “Roadrunner". After a successful career in the USA, Chaparral embarked on the World Championship of Makes in 1966, with victory over the 22 km of Nürburgring.. But Phil Hill and Jo Bonnier were forced to retire at Le Mans by mechanical problems.

The 1967 24 hours of Le Mans was quickly nicknamed "race of the century", and was billed as the final Ford-Ferrari duel, with the Chaparral 2F as wildcard. In addition to a seven-litre Chevrolet V8, an automatic transmission (hence the lack of a clutch pedal) and a plastic body, the 2F was fitted with a massive wing, with its angle controlled by a third pedal. Two cars started the race; Bob Johnson and Bruce Jennings, Phil Hill and Mike Spence. Qualified on the front row alongside the Mark Donohue/Bruce McLaren (Ford Mk IV), Hill and Spence retired at dawn on Sunday with transmission problems. However, Spence and Hill scored a win at the 30th of July that year at the 6 Hours of Brands Hatch (Great Britain). Phil Hill retired as a driver and returned to the United States to devote himself to the restoration of classic cars. He became a regular at meetings of vintage cars until his death on the 28th August 2008. Through its innovations, the Chaparral 2F impressive, especially with the moving wing which was used in the following year in Formula 1 ... and re-emerged 'DRS' in 2011, after more than four decades of ban on movable aerodynamic devices.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO

Photo : CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES (LE MANS, SARTHE), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 10 & 11 JUNE 1967. Like all Jim Hall's creations, the Chaparral 2F was immaculately turned out.