Ford at Le Mans

Frank Lance, Lonestar Mechanic Part 7

January 8, 2024 By pete

Le Mans, June 1965. Saturday 4 PM and in front of a full house, the always spectacular Le Mans-type start. The white Maserati Tipo 65 of Jo Siffert makes the fastest getaway, but up front the Fords manage good starts as well, with Chris Amon [#2], Bob Bondurant [#7] and Bruce McLaren [#1] on the move. [Photo by Flip Schulke, Willem Oosthoek Collection]

By Willem Oosthoek All photos by Henri Beroul [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.

After the GT40 successes at Daytona and Sebring in early 1965, it was time to concentrate on the June Le Mans 24 Hours, for which a test weekend was scheduled in April.

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Ford at Le Mans: Hows and Whys

August 7, 2018 By pete

Ford vs. Ferrari 101: The ‘60s battle, in a nutshell for our younger readers. It was, after all, a half century ago.

By Wallace Wyss
Historic Images courtesy of Ford Motor Company

It started only after Henry Ford II, who wanted to impress his beautiful Italian wife by buying an Italian automaker, got the door slammed on his face by Enzo Ferrari.

Embarrassed by the failed offer, he vowed to set his minions to work making an all new endurance racer that could win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Europe’s most important race and defeat Ferrari in the process. It is a remarkable story of American will-power, teamwork (and of course money). [Read more…] about Ford at Le Mans: Hows and Whys

Charles Montier’s French Racing Fords

December 10, 2013 By pete

Le Mans, 1923: Ford's first attempt to conquer the 24 hour race.

VeloceToday’s latest Select Folio is hot off the press. Because the subject matter is relatively unknown, immensely interesting and concerns both the U.S., France, Le Mans, and Grand Prix racing, the story of the Montier Fords was clearly a great topic for a Select Folio. Below, Chris Martin tells us a little about the Montiers, but to get the rest of the story, you’ll have to read the Folio; unlike our earlier Select series, this one is not in the electronic VeloceToday.

By Chris Martin

First Fords at Le Mans

Most of us tend to think that Fords did not play much of a part at Le Mans until the early 1960s. But that does not appear to be the case. Charles Montier, a French Ford dealer, (called “Le Sorcier” by the locals long before Gordini) entered the famous endurance race in 1923, 1924 and 1925. Few people even realize that a Model T Ford not only raced in that grueling event (won by a Chenard Walcker) but finished in 14th place in the first ever 24 hours of Le Mans. But the Montier-Fords were just getting a start; amazingly, by the 1930s Montier-Fords would participate in a number of Grand Prix events, racing against Alfa Romeo, Mercedes Benz and Bugatti.
[Read more…] about Charles Montier’s French Racing Fords