Description
At 4pm on Sunday June 19 1966, a trio of Ford Racing Cars crossed the finish line for the 24 hours of Le Mans road race bringing the United States its first victory in the international classic.
Why and how Ford automobiles came to be the American challenge in international competition, and to be victorious, is a story that began long ago.
Ford Motor Company was a power in automobile racing even before it grew to become the nation’s second biggest spectator sport, behind horse racing. The heritage dates back to company founder Henry Ford. Early in the century, Mr. Ford, himself, piloted the famed Ford “999” racer to capture the imagination of the American public and to promote his new cars.
The stage was set for the Ford Le Mans program in June, 1962, when Mr. Henry Ford II announced Ford Motor Company’s withdrawal from the five-year-old Automobile Manufacturers Association agreement to ban racing activities.
Three years later, even before the Le Mans triumph, Charles H. Patterson, executive vice president of the company, explained Ford Motor Company’s racing policy: “Our racing program is .. a prudent business investment. Our product improvements and sales records can be attributed to many factors, but we have no hesitancy in stating that racing is one of them.”
This 48 page document from Ford explains the program in detail with extensive b/w photos.
Softback in generally very good condition for age. Scarce.
