2006 Le Mans Classic
The GT40 1-2-3 victory 40th Anniversary
plus more
© Wolfgang Kohrn - 11th July, Last updated on July18th., 2006

 



Sorry, some Shelby at Le mans pics removed on request.
I was too early this time.
 Will be up again soon.


Pictures courtesy Ford Motor Company

The blue Shelby GT500 press car that appeared on 7.-9th. July in Le Mans was brought over from Roush/UK, so it most probably was the first GT500 ever in Europe considering that it arrived days before in UK.
Another black GT500 - but serial car - was presented on the 11th. July first time in Germany.


54 Ford GT at Le Mans Classic 
This is a new Guiness world record worth!

Picture courtesyof Laurent S/MP France

2006 - 
Shelby returns to Le Mans
The first pre-series Shelby GT500 press car that crossed the pond, shown by the Roush UK team. Ford ordered it to as one of the press cars to be in France for a parade lap at the Le Mans Classic.
Meanwhile the first Shelby GT500 has arrived in Germany on July 11th. at uscars24.de 

Picture courtesy LaurentS/MP France

Rich Truesdell used his contacts from his last Le Mans trip

The group on their way to the Le Mans Classic 2006
The full story on the Ford 40th Anniversary and the return of the Olympia Charger will be in major mags soon.

The official pics from Ford Media
Pictured with the winning 1966 Le Mans 24-hour Ford GT40 are (Left to Right): 
Lee Holman, who heads the American motorsport specialists Holman Moody. The team was another 1966 Ford entrant, and a young Lee Holman was on hand at Le Mans when a team entry finished third; 
Jean Luc Gerard, Chairman and Managing Director for Ford France.
John Fleming, President and CEO for Ford of Europe; 
Jim Wallace, tyre specialist for the winning Shelby American team and now representing Carroll Shelby Enterprises; 
Phil Henny, crew chief of the 1966 Filipinetti GT40, which ran as high as fifth before being sidelined by a crash; 
Harry Calton, Ford of Britain's Chief Press Officer at the 1966 Le Mans 24h race; 
Ian Slater, Vice President of Communications And Public Affairs for Ford of Europe; 
Sir John Whitmore, who qualified third in the 1966 race but failed to finish due to mechanical woes. Whitmore brought home the historical connection with 1966 by reprising his role from four decades earlier, piloting a 1964 GT40 with Britain's 
Shawn Lynn at the Le Mans Classic; 
Alan Mann, team owner of the infamous Alan Mann Racing company, one of Ford's three multi-car entrants for the 1966 race; 
Brian Lewis, mechanic for Alan Mann Racing, whose car was first off the line that fateful Saturday in 1966. 
Mr George Stauffer Just visible in the driving seat is the current American collector who owns the car, 


The Le Mans Classic 2006 saw the 40th Anniversary of the GT40 at Le Mans
The 3 original GT40ies from 1966 were brought there and Ford celebrated its past Class A victory with a big show.
Many had tears in their eyes when the exact same cars crossed the finishing line 40 years after their 1-2-3 victory from 1966.
More pics on Mustangpassion 

Picture courtesy Alain Goupy 
Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon won 1966 Le Mans with their Ford GTs (Ford himself  never wanted GT40 written on the side of the car) in #2, Ken Miles and Danny Hulme finished second in #1 and Dick Hutcherson and Ronny Bucknum crossed the line 3rd in 1966.

The Roush Team on its way to Le Mans
Photos courtesy Ford Motor Company
Meeting with Richard Truesdell and the Charger Olympia Team at the famous Relais St.Louis
An idea was born at this Le Mans Classic 2006 :

In 2007 a team will start with a recreation of the famous Truxmore Torino that raced against that Olympia Charger in 1976.

For more info see www.olympia-charger.com 

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