Jackie Oliver vs Vic Elford
Jackie Oliver and Jacky Ickx won the 1969 Le Mans in a Ford GT40 Mk.I, after the leading Porsche 917 of Vic Elford and Richard Attwood retired with gearbox failure.
Jackie Oliver co-drove the winning Ford GT40 Mk.I at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans with Jacky Ickx. Vic Elford co-drove a Porsche 917 with Richard Attwood in the same race; the 917 led for much of the event but retired with a gearbox failure at 11 a.m.
Quick Facts
- Jackie oliver role
- Factory Driver (Ford/March)
- Vic elford role
- Privateer/Works Driver (Porsche/Ford)
- Key era
- 1970-1973
- Primary machine type
- Sports Prototypes & GT Cars
- Major competition
- 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Status
- Retired Legends
Lore & Background
The 1969 race was the last with the traditional Le Mans start. Jacky Ickx protested by walking to his car and fastening his belts slowly, while privateer John Woolfe, inexperienced in the 917, crashed fatally on the first lap. The Ford GT40 Mk.I (chassis #1075, which had won in 1968) took the lead after the Elford/Attwood 917's gearbox broke, and won by just 120 metres after a 3-hour sprint against the Porsche 908 of Hans Herrmann and Gérard Larrousse.
Reader's Guide
It only notes that the 1968 race was won by the Gulf-JWA GT40 of John Wyer, and that the same chassis #1075 won in 1969. Elford's 1968 finish is not mentioned.
Did You Know?
- More than one-third of the starting cars in 1969 were Porsches, including several 911s.
- The 1969 race ended with a 3-hour sprint, the Ford beating the Porsche by just 120 metres after 24 hours.
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