Ford Versus Ferrari - The Battle for Le Mans

By: Anthony Pritchard . (AUTHORISED MERCIAN MANUALS REPRINT)

For four successive years, from 1964 to 1967, Le Mans, the most important sports car race and one of the oldest, has seen a tremendous struggle for victory between two teams Ford, the world's second-largest automobile manufacturer, and Ferrari, controlled by the world's most experienced racing entrant and constructor.

This sporting contest has become a bitter struggle between two giants. Ferrari, famed for his vast experience, his emotional approach to racing and his numerous rows with race organisers and his own drivers and technicians, has struggled hard not to concede victory. Ford, who originally tried to buy the Ferrari concern, have created a vast racing department at colossal expense and have pumped sums of money unmatched by any other manufacturer into the project of building the fastest and most reliable sports cars.

Why should Ford, previously not interested in racing, place so much importance on success at Le Mans? What has been their approach to racing and what kind of people have directed and organised their racing programme? How has Enzo Ferrari answered this challenge? How are Ferraris built and tested for races? What are the drivers' feelings before a race and how do they react to driving these 200 mph cars?

Besides answering these and many other questions about the inside workings of these two racing organisations, the book tells the full story of how the Ferrari and Ford teams have performed at Le Mans and elsewhere, and contains numerous photographs of the cars in action and in preparation together with their drivers and other racing personnel.

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