The first Ferrari pace cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

    Before we get to the Ferraris, let’s first take a quick look back into history...

    The origin of control vehicles dates back to the first Indianapolis 500 in the United States in 1911 according to specialist historians. The car was a Stoddard-Dayton loaned for the occasion by the local dealership.

    There are several names for this safety car, known in English as “pace-car” or “safety-car” in North America. It is used to slow down or neutralize the race, for example, in the event of exceptional weather conditions, or an accident by competitors, allowing track marshals to clean the track in the event of debris, evacuation of an damaged car, etc.

    After the Second World War, Walter Sleator, then CEO of the Franco-Britannic Autos Ltd importer Rolls-Royce and Bentley in France, encouraged the Bentley firm to take over the “Streamline Embiricos” file, (the one which had previously served during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1939), a car with an exclusive sports body ordered by the wealthy Greek banker André Embiricos.

    This immediately gave rise to the Bentley R-Type Continental Coupe, Walter Sleator wanting at all costs to avoid Bentley becoming a sub-brand of Rolls-Royce.

    He lent the prototype (registered OLG 490 and nicknamed “OLGA” by the press), available to the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) for the edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 1952 as a service car for the race director.

 

            June 1952, the Bentley Continental Olga

    Bentley, bought by Rolls-Royce in 1931, thus pays tribute to the five victories at Le Mans, including four consecutive times during the 1920s, won thanks to the “Bentley Boys”, a group of rich British gentleman pilots.

    Walter Sleator is the only driver authorized, by race director Charles Faroux, to circulate with the other runners, so that constant surveillance of this event is perfectly ensured.

    On the strategic level of excellent communication for Franco-Britannic Autos Ltd, Walter Sleator will regularly make the very latest Bentleys available during the Le Mans races. These cars are presented to the public as well as to journalists from around the world who can approach them up close in order to photograph them.

    How did Ferrari come about and why was it chosen by the race management?

    Here are some exclusive and unpublished extracts from correspondence between the A.C.O. and Enzo Ferrari. On February 22, 1960, Mr. Jacques Finance, vice-president of the A.C.O., wrote in a letter to Enzo
Ferrari:

...“As for the advertising issue I spoke about, this is what it is: you know that for many years, it has been a Bentley car driven by our friend Walter Sleator that has been in control of the race track of our event. We wanted to thank Bentley for its loyalty to the 24 Hours of Le Mans since their creation. But Bentley hasn’t raced for a long time, and President Lelièvre and I looked for a way to thank the House of Ferrari for the very frequent presence of its cars at Le Mans. Mr. Sleator told me recently that you would present, at the next Motor Show, a powerful 4-seater Ferrari, which could replace his Bentley as a control car (today, we would say Pace Car) from 1961. If this information is indeed correct, would you agree to lend us, in 1961, a car of this type, which driven by Mr. Sleator and his son, would become the official control car, which is excellent advertising, you know. If so, I believe that the A.C.O. would be willing to pay you, when we use this Ferrari, a sum of 1 million francs (10,000 NF) for rental and maintenance cost repair. Will you tell me what you think of this proposal? I ask you to please keep it secret, absolutely, so as not to offend Mr. Sleator because we have never paid anything to the Bentley House”...

    Enzo Ferrari’s response to Monsieur Jacques Finance will not be long in coming:

    ...“The proposal to present at Le Mans as the official car of the Race Direction, our new 2+2 car driven by Mr. Sleator is of certain interest for us, provided that this is done on June 25 and 26 and not 1961. Indeed, since we will present it in October at the Paris Salon and it will be in current production at that time, I am willing to make an effort to present it in preview to the numerous audiences who will fill, as every year, the Sarthe circuit. As for your gracious offer of compensation, I ask you to consider the significant expenses that will entail preparation, transport, and stay, and therefore to kindly double your forecasts. I remain confident in the results of your friendly intervention to make your friends understand the agreement that you proposed to me and which I accepted, subject however to an increase in the figure, justifying the reasons”....

    On April 23, 1960, Enzo Ferrari added:

    ….“It will be nice for me to know your final decision regarding the 4-seater car, since Pinin Farina has just told me today that these special cars will certainly be ready in due time”...

    Response from President Lelièvre in a letter to Enzo Ferrari on May 9, 1960:

...“As for the 4-seater car which will be one of the official cars used for the testing of our event next June, I am happy to know that it will be ready in good time. I have already told you, on several occasions, that the rental compensation for this car will be 10,000 NF”...

    The A.C.O. remained in its positions, and Enzo Ferrari was uncompromising until the end. It took all the diplomacy of Henri Lallement, head of the competition department of the Dunlop company, to resolve this dispute. Note that the Ferrari will be equipped with white Dunlop tires highlighted on the sidewalls of the tires.

    The CEO of the FBA Ltd, Walter Sleator, suffering from serious illness since 1955, it is his son, Donald, then the commercial director of the Ferrari branch within the FBA Ltd since 1958, who will officially drive for the very first time, a Ferrari during the 28th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, on June 23 and 24, 1960. He was accompanied by Charles de Cortanze, the co-director of the race.

    This Ferrari is the new 250 GT prototype chassis 1895 GT, on loan from the factory, in Rosso Rubino MM 16119 color with Naturale VM 3218 Connolly leather interior.

 

            June 1960, the 250 GTE Prototype, S/N 1895 GT

    This 250 Gran Turismo has the type 508 E chassis, hence its name GTE with the letter “E”. (Note: the 250 GT Coupé PF has the tipo 508 D chassis, a logical continuation in the chronology of chassis types at Ferrari).

    It has a 3-liter Colombo 12-cylinder V-shaped Tipo 128E engine, developing 240 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and will be the best-selling Ferrari of its time.

    For the 29th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, from June 10 to 11, 1961, the Sleators entered their FBA Ltd demonstration vehicle, the 250 GTE Series I, chassis 2173 GT, in Grigio Fumo color, interior Naturale Connolly leather.

    Note the registration 1961 RP 75 designating the year 1961, almost all Ferrari pace cars from FBA Ltd will have the year written on their registration plate.

 

            June 1961, Donald Sleator with S/N 2173 GT

    The GTE was prepared by the historic coachbuilder of the FBA Ltd Henri Chapron, installation of seat belts, a shell-type rearview mirror, flag holder, and an enamel Ferrari badge on the rear trunk.

    At Le Mans 1962, it was a 250 GTE Series II, chassis 3341 GT, still on loan from FBA Ltd, blue in color with a Blu VM 3087 Connolly leather interior, registered 1962 MJ 75.

    From June 15 to 16, 1963, during the 31st edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Donald Sleator entered the 250 GTE Series III, chassis 4155 GT, registered 1963 NK 75, color Blu Sera and Grigio VM 3230 Connolly leather interior.

    This one is the famous GTE which was the heroine of the film Pouic-Pouic bringing together the French actors Louis de Funès, Jacqueline Maillan and  Mireille Darc.

    As with all GTE pace cars, Donald Sleator calls on coachbuilder Henri Chapron for the installation of the seat belts, shell-type rear-view mirror, flag holder, and enamel badge on the rear trunk...

    The 32nd edition of 1964 which took place from June 20 to 21, it is the new 330 GT 2+2 Series I, (front optical units with four headlights) chassis 5403 GT which is presented, with the particularly innovative design of the Italo-American, Tom Tdjaarda, from Pininfarina.

    It sports a Rosso color with a Nero VM 8500 Connolly leather interior. Its engine is a 12-cylinder 60° V, 4-liters, type 209, developing 300 horsepower at 6,600 rpm.

    In 1965, Donald Sleator still entered a 330 GT 2+2 Series I for the 33rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chassis 6273 GT is in Azzuro with Nero VM 8500 Connolly leather interior.

    Again a 330 GT 2+2 which was presented during the 34th edition from June 18 to 19, 1966 but this time a Series II, single-headlight, chassis 7557 GT, with a Verde Scuro livery, Beige Scuro VM 846 Connolly leather interior.

    In June 1967 for the 35th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Donald Sleator began his last participation as driver and supplier for the A.C.O. It is a 330 GT 2+2 Series II, chassis 9097 GT, registered 1610 TL 75.

 

            June 1967, the last pace car, 330 GT, S/N 9097 GT

    During my meeting in 2018 with Donald Sleator, he told me that during his last three years at Le Mans, the Ferrari pace-cars were no longer suited to foreign American competitors (most of whom were undisciplined with their machines such as the Ford GT40), who did not follow the instructions.

    He no longer wanted to commit to the 1968 edition... and the economic context of May 1968 got the better of his decision.

Cyrille Jaquinot, author, French book historian: Ferrari Franco-Britannic Autos Ltd, first exclusive Ferrari importer in France (1958-1968).