1967 24 Hours of Le Mans

1967 24 Hours of Le Mans
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Index: Races | Winners

The 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 35th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 10 and 11 June 1967. It was also the seventh round of the World Sportscar Championship.

Event

The Ford GT40 Mark IV was an updated version of the Ford J-Car, which was shelved following the fatal accident of Ken Miles in August 1966. The Mark IV had an all new chassis designed and built in the United States, as opposed to the Mark Is and IIs which had chassis that were built in England. The big-block 427 cubic inch (7 liters) Ford Galaxie-derived engine from the Mk.II was used for the Mk.IV. Although it had the same engine they did, the Mark IV had a low-drag body which increased the top speed of the car to nearly 220 mph.

The 1967 World Sportscar Championship season started on a real low for Ford. Ferrari had dominated the first round, a 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway in the United States by finishing 1-2-3 (all works cars) while all of the works GT40 Mk.IIB's (the Mk.IV was not ready yet, and the Mk.II's were upgraded to "B" spec) effectively retired with the same type of gearbox troubles. Thoroughly humiliated on home soil, Carroll Shelby, the Holman & Moody squad and Ford executives knew what had to be done. They ended up winning the next round 6 weeks later at the 12 Hours of Sebring, also in the United States with their new Mk.IV with American Mario Andretti and New Zealander Bruce McLaren driving, run by Holman & Moody. Ford only entered the 12 and 24 hour races that were part of the championship; the way Ford saw it, Daytona and Sebring were really test runs for the only race that really mattered: the world stage at Le Mans.

The surprise winners were Americans A. J. Foyt and Dan Gurney, who led all but the first 90 minutes of the race and defeated the factory Ferrari 330P4 of Italian Ludovico Scarfiotti and Briton Michael Parkes by nearly four laps. The team had to fabricate a roof "bubble" to accommodate the helmet of Dan Gurney, who stood more than 190 cm (6 feet, 3 inches) tall. In one famous incident which took place in the middle of the night, Gurney had been running quite easily to preserve his car, and Parkes came up behind in the second-place Ferrari (which was trailing by four laps, or 34 miles). For several miles Parkes hounded the Ford driver by flashing his passing lights in Gurney's mirrors until an exasperated Gurney simply pulled off the course at Arnage corner and stopped on a grassy verge. Parkes stopped behind him, and the two race-leading cars sat there in the dark, motionless, until Parkes finally realized this attempt at provocation was not going to work. After a few moments, he pulled around Gurney and resumed the race, with Gurney following shortly. With the cat-and-mouse game abandoned, each car then simply maintained their positions to the finish. The win remains, to this day, the sole all-American victory at Le Mans: an American-built car, prepared by an American team and driven by American drivers.

When the winners mounted the victory stand, Gurney was handed the traditional magnum of champagne. Looking down, he saw Ford CEO Henry Ford II, team owner Carroll Shelby, their wives, and several journalists who had predicted disaster for the high-profile duo of Gurney and Foyt. Many of the journalists had predicted the two drivers, who were heated competitors in the United States, would break their car in intramural rivalry. Instead, both drivers took special care to drive the car with discipline and won easily. On the victory stand, Gurney shook the bottle and sprayed everyone nearby, establishing a tradition reenacted in victory celebrations the world over ever since. Gurney, incidentally, autographed and gave the bottle of champagne to a Life Magazine photographer, Flip Schulke, who used it as a lamp for many years. Schulke recently returned the bottle to Gurney, who keeps it at his home in California.

Official results

Le Mans in 1967
Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
1 P
+5.0
1 United States Shelby-American Inc. United States Dan Gurney
United States A. J. Foyt
Ford GT40 Mk.IV Ford 7.0L V8 388
2 P
5.0
21 Italy SpA Ferrari SEFAC Italy Ludovico Scarfiotti
United Kingdom Mike Parkes
Ferrari 330 P4 Ferrari 4.0L V12 384
3 P
5.0
24 Belgium Equipe Nationale Belge Belgium Willy Mairesse
Belgium Jean Blaton
Ferrari 330 P4 Ferrari 4.0L V12 377
4 P
+5.0
2 United States Shelby-American Inc. New Zealand Bruce McLaren
United States Mark Donohue
Ford GT40 Mk.IV Ford 7.0L V8 359
5 P
2.0
41 Germany Porsche System Engineering Switzerland Jo Siffert
Germany Hans Herrmann
Porsche 907/6L Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 358
6 P
2.0
38 Germany Porsche System Engineering Germany Rolf Stommelen
Germany Jochen Neerpasch
Porsche 910/6K Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 351
7 S
2.0
37 Germany Porsche System Engineering United Kingdom Vic Elford
Netherlands Ben Pon
Porsche 906K Carrera 6 Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 327
8 S
2.0
66 France Christian Poirot France Christian Poirot
Germany Gerhard Koch
Porsche 906 Carrera 6 Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 321
9 P
1.3
46 France Société des Automobiles France Henri Grandsire
France José Rosinski
Alpine A210 Renault (Gordini) 1.3L I4 321
10 P
1.3
49 France Ecurie Savin-Calberson France André de Cortanze
France Alain LeGuellec
Alpine A210 Renault (Gordini) 1.3L I4 318
11 GT
5.0
28 Switzerland Scuderia Filipinetti Switzerland Dieter Spoerry
Switzerland Rico Steinemann
Ferrari 275 GTB/C Ferrari 3.3L V12 317
12 P
1.3
48 France Ecurie Savin-Calberson France Roger Delageneste
France Jacques Cheinisse
Alpine A210 Renault (Gordini) 1.3L I4 311
13 P
1.6
45 France Société des Automobiles Alpine Belgium Mauro Bianchi
France Jean Vinatier
Alpine A210 Renault (Gordini) 1.5L I4 311
14 GT
2.0
42 France Auguste Veuillet France Robert Buchet
Germany Herbert Linge
Porsche 911 S Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 308
15 P
1.3
51 United Kingdom Donald Healey Motor Company United Kingdom Clive Baker
United Kingdom Andrew Hedges
Austin-Healey Sprite Le Mans BMC 1.3L I4 289
16 P
1.3
64 France Ecurie du Maine France Marcel Martin
France Jean Mesange
Abarth 1300 OT Fiat (Abarth) 1.3L I4 262

Did Not Finish

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
17 P
5.0
19 Italy SpA Ferrari SEFAC Germany Günter Klass
United Kingdom Peter Sutcliffe
Ferrari 330 P4 Ferrari 4.0L V12 296
18 P
+5.0
57 United States Shelby-American Inc. United States Ronnie Bucknum
Australia Paul Hawkins
Ford GT40 Mk.IIB Ford 7.0L V8 271
19 P
+5.0
7 United States Chaparral Cars Inc. United States Phil Hill
United Kingdom Mike Spence
Chaparral 2F Chevrolet 7.0L V8 225
20 P
1.3
47 France Société des Automobiles Alpine France Jean-Claude Andruet
France Robert Bouharde
Alpine A210 Renault (Gordini) 1.3L I4 219
21 P
5.0
23 United Kingdom Maranello Concessionaires United Kingdom Richard Attwood
United Kingdom Piers Courage
Ferrari 412P Ferrari 4.0L V12 208
22 P
1.15
56 France Ecurie Savin-Calberson France Gérard Larrousse
France Patrick Depailler
Alpine A210 Renault (Gordini) 1.0L I4 204
23 P
1.15
55 United States North American Racing Team (NART) France Jean-Luc Thérier
France François Chevalier
Alpine M64 Renault (Gordini) 1.0L I4 201
24 P
+5.0
3 United States Holman & Moody United States Mario Andretti
Belgium Lucien Bianchi
Ford GT40 Mk.IV Ford 7.0L V8 188
25 P
+5.0
6 United States Holman & Moody
France Ford France S.A.
France Jo Schlesser
France Guy Ligier
Ford GT40 Mk.IIB Ford 7.0L V8 183
26 S
5.0
16 France Ford France S.A. Belgium Pierre Dumay
France Henri Greder
Ford GT40 Mk.I Ford 4.7L V8 179
27 P
+5.0
5 United States Holman & Moody United States Roger McCluskey
Australia Frank Gardner
Ford GT40 Mk.IIB Ford 7.0L V8 179
28 GT
+5.0
9 United States Dana Chevrolet Inc. United States Bob Bondurant
United States Dick Guldstrand
Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet 7.0L V8 167
29 P
2.0
29 France Equipe Matra Sports France Jean-Pierre Beltoise
France Johnny Servoz-Gavin
Matra MS630 BRM 2.0L V8 155
30 P
5.0
25 United States North American Racing Team (NART) Mexico Pedro Rodríguez
Italy Giancarlo Baghetti
Ferrari 412P Ferrari 4.0L V12 144
31 GT
2.0
67 France Pierre Boutin France Pierre Boutin
France Patrice Sanson
Porsche 911 S Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 134
32 GT
2.0
60 France Philippe Farjon France Philippe Farjon
Switzerland André Wicky
Porsche 911 S Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 126
33 S
5.0
18 Switzerland Scuderia Filipinetti Italy Umberto Maglioli
Italy Mario Casoni
Ford GT40 Mk.I Ford 4.7L V8 116
34 P
5.0
20 Italy SpA Ferrari SEFAC New Zealand Chris Amon
Italy Nino Vaccarella
Ferrari 330 P3 Spyder Ferrari 4.0L V12 105
35 P
2.0
40 Germany Porsche System Engineering Germany Gerhard Mitter
Austria Jochen Rindt
Porsche 907/6L Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 103
36 P
+5.0
8 United States Chaparral Cars Inc. United States Bob Johnson
United States Bruce Jennings
Chaparral 2F Chevrolet 7.0L V8 91
37 P
5.0
22 Switzerland Scuderia Filipinetti France Jean Guichet
Switzerland Herbert Müller
Ferrari 412P Ferrari 4.0L V12 88
38 P
+5.0
4 United States Holman & Moody New Zealand Denis Hulme
United States Lloyd Ruby
Ford GT40 Mk.IV Ford 7.0L V8 86
39 P
2.0
39 Germany Porsche System Engineering Germany Udo Schütz
United States Joe Buzzetta
Porsche 910/6L Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 84
40 P
1.15
58 France Société des Automobiles Alpine France Philippe Vidal
Italy Leo Cella
Alpine A210 Renault (Gordini) 1.0L I4 67
41 P
+5.0
14 United Kingdom John Wyer Automotive Engineering United Kingdom David Piper
United States Richard Thompson
Mirage M1
(Ford GT40 Lightweight)
Ford 5.7L V8 59
42 GT
5.0
17 Belgium Claude Dubois Belgium Claude Dubois
Belgium Chris Tuerlinckx
Ford-Shelby Mustang GT350 Ford 4.7L V8 58
43 P
2.0
30 France Equipe Matra Sports France Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
France Henri Pescarolo
Matra MS630 BRM 2.0L V8 55
44 P
1.6
44 United Kingdom Team Elite United Kingdom David Preston
United Kingdom John Wagstaff
Lotus Europa Mk.47 Ford (Cosworth) 1.6L I4 42
45 P
1.15
53 France S.E.C. Automobiles CD France André Guilhaudin
France Alain Bertaut
CD SP66C Peugeot 1.1L I4 35
46 P
5.0
26 United States North American Racing Team (NART) United States Ricardo Rodríguez
United States Chuck Parsons
Ferrari 365 P2 Ferrari 4.4L V12 30
47 P
+5.0
15 United Kingdom John Wyer Automotive Engineering Belgium Jacky Ickx
Australia Brian Muir
Mirage M1
(Ford GT40 Lightweight)
Ford 5.7L V8 29
48 P
1.15
52 France S.E.C. Automobiles CD France Dennis Dayan
France Claude Ballot-Léna
CD SP66C Peugeot 1.1L I4 25
49 P
+5.0
12 United Kingdom Lola Cars Ltd. / Team Surtees South Africa Peter de Klerk
United Kingdom Chris Irwin
Lola T70 Mk.III Aston Martin 5.0L V8 25
50 S
5.0
62 United Kingdom John Wyer Automotive Engineering United Kingdom Mike Salmon
United Kingdom Brian Redman
Ford GT40 Mk.I Ford 4.7L V8 20
51 P
1.15
54 United Kingdom Roger Nathan Racing Ltd. United Kingdom Roger Nathan
United Kingdom Mike Beckwith
Costin Nathan Hillman 1.0L I4 15
52 P
1.3
50 United Kingdom Marcos Racing Ltd. United Kingdom Chris J. Lawrence
United Kingdom Jem Marsh
Marcos Mini Marcos GT BMC 1.3L I4 13
53 P
+5.0
11 United Kingdom Lola Cars Ltd. / Team Surtees United Kingdom John Surtees
United Kingdom David Hobbs
Lola T70 Mk.III Aston Martin 5.0L V8 3
54 GT
2.0
43 France "Franc" France Jacques Dewes
Germany Anton Fischhaber
Porsche 911 S Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 2

Statistics

Trophy Winners

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