Where the story begins - Ford’s exploits at the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been driven by a powerful blend of pride and commercial strategy. Pride, because after being rebuffed by Enzo Ferrari just when he thought he had clinched a deal to buy the Italian marque, Henry Ford II was desperate to save face and beat the prancing horse in its favourite stomping ground. Commercial strategy, because Ford’s entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans was part of a drive to freshen up its image and reach out to a younger clientele. The launch of a sporty road car – none other than the Ford Mustang in 1964 – was thus followed with a foray into sportscar racing at the French endurance classic.

Reigning supreme at the 24 Hours - The clash between Ford and Ferrari at Le Mans took the  quest for performance and popularity to new heights. Ferrari triumphed in 1964 and 1965, but Ford took the crown in 1966 with the Mk II driven by Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren. The 1967 race smashed all records. Before a massive crowd of an estimated 300,000 spectators, Ford broke the 5,000-km barrier for the first time after a breath-taking sprint to the finish by winners AJ Foyt and Dan Gurney in the Mk IV. The American manufacturer decided not to field a works car after engine size was limited to 3 litres for prototypes at the end of 1967, but a British outfit headed by John Wyer entered a GT40 in 1968 (with Lucien Bianchi and Pedro Rodriguez at the wheel) and 1969 (Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver) and won both times! 1969 was the year that the Porsche 917 made its Le Mans début. More records would be broken – but that’s another story!

Ford, Ferrari and the LM GTE Pro class: Battle resumed! - It seems that Ford’s Le Mans adventures will be forever linked with Ferrari. In 2016, the two manufacturers lined up the two most hotly anticipated cars in the World Endurance Championship. The Ferrari 488 GTE bagged victories at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, then the Ford GT took the win in the LM GTE Pro class on its maiden Le Mans appearance. Two other victories followed at the 6 Hours of Fuji and then in Shanghai. Ferrari currently sits 39.5 points clear at the top of the rankings for the FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers, but Ford could still clinch the title from its arch-rival at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, the final showdown of the 2016 championship.   

 

Overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: 4 (1966-1967-1968-1969)

LM GTE Pro class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2012: 1 (2016)

 

Read the rest of the series here:

LM GTE Pro and the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1) - Ferrari

LM GTE Pro and the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2) - Aston Martin

 

Photo: At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the four Ford GTs sported numbers 66, 67, 68 and 69, a nod to the marque’s four victories. The #67 shown here has taken two straight wins in the LM GTE Pro class in the World Endurance Champions (Shanghai and Fuji).