Le Mans 'The Ford & Matra Years' 1966-1974 * R.M. Clarke

Contemporary Le Mans race reports from British and American journals covering the years 1966-1974. With detailed results and annual summaries by Anders Ditlev Clausager. This comprehensive motorsport anthology chronicles an iconic decade at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, compiling contemporary race reports, road tests, technical diagrams, and performance specifications that document Ford’s legendary domination and Matra’s spectacular hometown victories.

The Story: Compiled by the expert editorial curators at Brooklands Books, this specialized racing portfolio serves as an ultimate reference archive for vintage endurance motorsport enthusiasts. The collection completely looks past broad, romanticized retellings of track history. Instead, it establishes a thorough, research-heavy data workspace built entirely on original mid-century automotive journalism, tracking the precise engineering battles that redefined aerodynamics and engine limits on the Mulsanne Straight.

The archive takes automotive historians and design lovers through a versatile landscape of high-performance engineering, organizing its material into chronological race profiles. The pages compile technical reviews and driver interviews covering iconic machines - including the legendary Ford GT40 Mk II and Mk IV, the Porsche 908 and 917 giants, and the glorious V12-powered Matra-Simca MS670 models. The text charts the precise parameters of track performance, documenting lap times, chassis specs, fuel system configurations, and gearbox setups across changing competitive fields.

Rather than treating these articles as a passive collection of trivia, the book acts as an active, empirical field manual for historic car restorers and model modelers. It preserves original black-and-white trackside photography, official practice updates, and post-race breakdowns that capture the raw pressure of the 24-hour deadline. Published as a distinctive Limited Edition Portfolio by Brooklands Books, this scarce reference classic remains a vital addition to any garage workshop shelf or motorsport design library.

Perfect For: Motorsport historians, vintage car owners, and scale model builders looking for an objective, data-dense textbook to verify factory-original racing details and chassis histories; fans of the classic Ford vs. Ferrari era and French engineering triumphs; and collectors of rare, out-of-print Brooklands Books automotive compilations.

Published 1999 by Brooklands Books Ltd.

Automotive History & Racing Archives / Endurance Motorsport Records / Vintage Car Track Manuals / Production & Performance Analytics / Specialty Paperbacks