The 86th 24 Hours of Le Mans – the world’s most renowned automobile endurance challenge – will take place on 16 and 17 June 2018, at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France. The 2018 event marks the 50^th anniversary of one of Gulf’s finest hours in motorsport.

Polygon MD, Martin Allerton has been working with the Gulf brand for 30 years; the following is an extract from, ‘Blue and Orange: The History of Gulf in Motorsport’, the book he published in 2004, written by Michael Cotton.

Preparations were marred when news came through that (Jacky) Ickx had crashed heavily in the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and broken his leg. Derek Bell was approached, but the Englishman had a Formula 2 contract with Ferrari and was asked to be on standby for a call to the Formula 1 team at Watkins Glen. “The worst decision he ever made” (John) Wyer reckoned. Pedro Rodriguez was the next to be called and he was pleased to accept the invitation.

J.W. Automotive prepared three GT40s for Le Mans for Rodriguez and Bianchi, Hobbs and Hawkins, and Brian Muir with Jackie Oliver. Porsche took four new 908s, and while these were a little faster in lap speeds the 5-litre Fords were clearly more rugged, had more downforce and were faster through the corners. It would be a fascinating contest.

Against Wyer’s express instructions, Brian Muir disgraced himself by going faster and faster, and eventually buried his GT40 in the sand-pit at Mulsanne Corner after just 11 laps. Gulf’s third car was effectively out, since the Australian spent nearly three hours digging the car out and reached the pits with a wrecked clutch.

The Ford team still had a clear advantage after four hours, Rodriguez and Bianchi ahead of Hobbs and Hawkins, with the Porsches trailing. Siffert and Herrmann had gone with a broken gearbox (possibly the result of running a long tail configuration, which did not allow the oil cooler to function efficiently) and the others were having alternator problems.

An engine vibration in Hobbs’ Ford eventually became a full-scale blow-up, so comprehensive that the actual cause was never established. So, once the Joe Buzzetta/Scooter Patrick Porsche 908 relinquished the lead with a failing clutch Rodriguez and Bianchi had a clear run in the lead, from nightfall on Saturday until four o’clock on Sunday afternoon.

Their Ford acquitted itself superbly, with not a hint of mechanical trouble from start to finish. It was a text-book race, born of painstaking preparation, which was duly noted among Porsche’s hierarchy. Wyer reckoned that Porsche had made 33 908s and could easily have homologated the car, with plenty to spare, while the Gulf team operated with the same two or three cars all season.

Celebrations went on half the night. Ford had won the World Championship of Makes.

For more information on ‘Blue and Orange: The History of Gulf in Motorsport’, click here. For more on the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans, click here.

To find out more about Polygon’s recent work with the Gulf brand, click here.