24 Hours At Le Mans

A. Participation in sports, stock and drag car racing has helped us develop better power plants, better steering, better suspension systems, better brakes, better aerodynamics and better all-round handling and performance. (By the way, it has helped the rubber companies build safer, longer-lasting tires, too.) Many of these advances already have been incorporated into our passenger cars and trucks, and many more will be in coming years. We call our GT cars "laboratories on wheels." While in some cases it may take considerable time to translate our racing knowledge into production-line vehicles, we're convinced that what we're learning in our present GT program is helping us build better, safer and more efficient automobiles for general use.

Q. It is also said that racing inspires a company's engineers to greater creativity and, by giving employees a rooting interest in races, stimulates esprit de corps. What has been your experience?

A. This certainly has been the case with us. One of our main reasons for racing is that it provides our engineers with an unusual challenge and incentive. As to esprit de corps, the effect of a victory is immediately apparent among our management, our employees, our dealers—and, I'm happy to say, our customers.

Q. When you attend races as a spectator, what do you hope to see?

A. Aside from a Ford victory, I hope to see interesting competition. And I especially hope to see a safe race, without accidents.

Q. What is your outlook for the future in racing? Is it likely that Ford will be importantly involved in racing for an indefinite time? Or are there factors that may tend to influence you to curtail or cease racing?

A. We consider automobile racing an integral part of our development program. We have some of the finest test tracks and proving grounds in the world, but we still think of automobile racing as an important adjunct to our regular test program. While we may increase or decrease the emphasis in various areas of racing in any given year, we have no intention of abandoning our racing program in the foreseeable future.