Book reviews, August 2003, August 2003

By François Hurel
ISBN 2914920210
Published by Editions du Palmier, 52.00 Euros

We liked Hurel’s book on Alpines at Le Mans, and this follows the same plan — a summary for each year plus an entry with photo for every Ford which ran at the Sarthe from 1923 ( Montier Special) up to the Saleen Mustangs of 1998.

With sidebars on anything from John Wyer (“A look that could kill”) to chicanes, plus a mention even of some Fords which didn’t run at Le Mans (not so daft — he mentions F3L and the J-car), it’s both complete and easy to dip into, as long as you read French.

Each car gets a thorough technical specification at the end of the book, including even the names of its designers, which will be a quick way of sorting out all those GT40/MkII variants.

But the abiding thought after reading this volume is just how surprisingly few Fords, even including the Mirage and Gulf cars, have competed in the world’s toughest race. It’s just that, with five victories to boast of, they tended to make an impact when they did. GC