On May 26, 1923, the first twenty four hour race at Le Mans took place. Little did the organizers know at the time what impact this race would have over the years. Always a showcase of automotive engineering, endurance and speed, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been a desire of automobile manufacturers since that first race on dusty roads in France. The winners of Le Mans found many rewards at the end of the race, whether it was the drivers or builders. Many cars were designed for the sole purpose of winning this race bringing unique concepts from chassis and engine designs, tire compounds and aerodynamics. Marques such as Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Ford, Mazda, Porsche, Audi and Peugeot, and many more have graced the winner’s circle. The track itself has it’s own fame, with the Mulsanne Straight seeing speeds of 250 MPH from cars that needed to last for a full 24 hours. the track has seen many forms over the years with segments that actually went through the town of Le Mans being shortened, to essees being added when speeds became dangerous for the drivers and spectators.* Auto World has captured the excitement of Le Mans with their new race set “24 Hours of Le Mans: Speed V. Endurance”. The set contains two of the most storied of GT race cars that ever challenged the course at Le Mans: the 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II as driven by Ken Miles and Dennis Hulme, and the 1967 Chaparral 2F with the livery driven by Mike Spence and Phil Hill at Brands Hatch and Spa. Let’s dig into the box and see what’s in there.
There are three layouts suggested on the back of the box and with the instruction sheet. We will build the one on the instruction sheet for this article.
The track sections went together well and had a nice snug fit. There were plenty of guardrails (I had 3 extra) and a cardboard pedestrian bridge to add a little scenery. You get color coordinated controllers that match the cars, plenty of stackable bridge supports and a 16 volt power pack.
The race set also comes with a 10 lap, mechanical lap counter so the drivers will know who’s really in the lead. Now let’s get to the stars of this race set, the cars!
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II – Light Blue/White/Red #1 – Ken Miles and Dennis Hulme
It’s kind of tough to cover a car that has already been written about so many times and was the feature of a recent major movie (we’ve all see Ford Versus Ferrari, right?) but I’ll get a few of the details in here anyway. Henry Ford II had a grudge to settle with Enzo Ferrari after Ferrari pulled out of a purchase deal with Ford. So Ford threw all of the company’s resources into beating Ferrari in his most prized venue, the race track. Development of the Ford GT40 had some growing pains, but the Mk II was finally the right combination, paired with some of the best drivers of the era. Ken Miles had even more hands-on experience with the GT40, having been the primary test driver in its development. Denny Hulme was on the verge of fantastic career becoming champion in Formula 1 and Can-Am. The potent combination of a 427 cubic inch powerhouse, sleek body work and phenomenal driving talent, the Ford GT40 Mk II was an unbeatable force even Ferrari could not catch. **
1967 Chaparral 2F – White/Black #1 – Mike Spence and Phil Hill
Jim Hall was one of the best driver/engineer combination to come into the racing world. Chaparral Racing (named after the flightless Texas bird) was a private racing enterprise owned by Hall and Hap Sharp to build cars that they could race and satisfy their need for speed. Jim Hall always looked for that extra advantage in his cars and found it with aerodynamics. With Chevrolet R & D assistance, big block 427 aluminum engines and a huge wing that fed down force directly to the rear wheel hubs, the Chaparral 2F was an elegant design meant to go fast. The 2F was fast, capturing 3 poles and placing 2nd in other racing events. Hill and Spence qualified 2nd at Le Mans, only 0.3 of a second from the pole. They were as high as second place until the transmission failed, After some teething issues with the often mysterious automatic transmission that Chaparrals used, they worked out the bugs and captured a win at Brands Hatch. ***
Let’s see some action shots of the GT40 and 2F on the new Auto World race track.
The Ford GT40 gets off to a quick start and into the first turn.
But the wing flippers the 2F into the lead coming off the corner.
Coming to the bridge, the GT40 is closing the gap. Can you just imagine the races you can have in your living room?
Auto World has some classic liveries in these two. They will be great additions to any H.O. garage.
References:
* French Racing Blue by David Venables
** Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans by Dave Friedman
*** Deans Garage (http://www.deansgarage.com/2018/1967-spa-1000km-chaparral-2f/)
Chaparral Can-Am and Prototype Race Cars by Dave Friedman