Le Mans 1962: the Rise of the Prototypes – How Phil Hill claimed his third 24 Hours victory

The 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans did not look as though it would be a walkover for Phil Hill, the number one driver of the Ferrari works team and 1961 Formula One World Champion. Born in Miami, Florida, on April 20, 1927, the Santa Monica, California, resident had joined Scuderia Ferrari in 1956. By 1962, 35 years old and at the height of his competition career, Hill could look back at three F1 victories (Monza 1960, Spa 1961 and Monza 1961) and numerous wins in sports cars, including long-distance triumphs at Le Mans in 1958 and 1961. Ferraris had won the World Sports Car Championship in 1960 and 1961, but by 1962 the Championship was in turmoil.

On May 15, 1961, the competition arm of the FIA decreed that for 1962 the Championship was to be for GT cars only, i.e., cars without body modifications, of which at least 100 had been built. Three classes were introduced based on engine size, each with their own Championship title. It seemed as though the cars that excited the spectators most, the sports racers, no longer had a role to play in long-distance racing. Afraid of losing valuable crowd attendance, the organizers of the four main endurance events—Sebring, Targa Florio, Nürburgring and Le Mans—announced on December 1, 1961, that in addition to the GT classes, a separate “experimental” class for prototypes would be allowed to participate. Limited to a 4-liter engine size, these prototypes were restricted by various other requirements as well. The one that bodies had to cover the entire space frame and all mechanical components effectively banned Maserati’s innovative and ultra-light Birdcage design, both front-and rear-engined, from participating at Le Mans. The other Championship events were less rigid with their rules and still allowed older sports racers to enter.