It’s 50 years since Flying Kiwis conquered the Le Mans 24-Hour race in the Ford GT40. Now, Ford is heading to the iconic event with its all-new GT supercar.
Ford is settling for half-measures as it gears up for its landmark assault on the Le Mans 24-Hour endurance race.
The organiser of the race, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (AC), has confirmed that four Ford GTs have received a place on the entry list for the 2016 event, which runs on June 18-19.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the American brand’s historic 1-2-3 win in 1966 with the GT40, including three now-legendary Kiwi drivers: Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme.
Ford hit the 1966 event with everything it had: it entered eight GT40 coupes and came with seven spare engines and a truckload of parts. The mission was to defeat Ferrari and it succeeded, becoming the first American maker to win the iconic race.