This 1973 color film documents the 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans 41st Grand Prix of Endurance, also the eighth round of the 1973 World Championship for Makes. Extended coverage is given to John Greenwood’s Chevrolet Corvette C3, sponsored by BF Goodrich tires, which did not finish the race (TRT: 17:15).

Sunrise. Headlights flare on a sportscar racing down a track. Spectators sit and stand on bleachers at the Circuit de la Sarthe for the (0:08). Flashing headlights illuminate “BP” road markers (0:29). A Porsche Carrera RS (#16), a Porsche 911 Carrera RSR (#4), and a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 (#6) race toward the camera. A man checks a stopwatch. Waving the checkered flag at the finish line (1:05). Opening titles (1:34). Scenes of celebration at the end of the long race. Race fans rush the track (1:37). A montage of Le Mans history from the 1920s and 1930s. A 1952 newsreel, “24-Hour Sports Car Marathon!” from Warner Pathe News. Briggs Cunningham of the United States races in a Cunningham C-4R (2:04). Race car drivers run to their vehicles at the start of the 1958 race. Jaguars and Ferrari’s lead the race in wet, rainy conditions (3:12). A crashed sports car on the side of the track. The checkered flag. 1958’s winner, Phil Hill, and his Ferrari 250 TR/58 (3:40). 1964: A white Lotus Elite mk14 (#43) a Ferrari 275 P (#1) and a Ferrari 330 P (#19). Ferrari takes the first three places (3:48). 1966: Ford returns with a Ford GT40 Mk. II, (#2) driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon (4:21). 1967: A Chaparral 2F with a large spoiler. Jim (#7). Shirtless men cheer from the stands. Jim Hall. The Ford team of Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt celebrates another win by spraying champagne (4:39). 1973: Aerial photography of the racetrack’s straightaway. The John Greenwood Racing team pushes a Chevrolet Corvette C3 (#29) in the pits. Greenwood wears a mustache and sunglasses in closeup. He puts on his racing helmet and prepares to drive in a car sponsored by BF Goodrich Lifesaver tires (5:08). The Greenwood pit crew makes adjustments on and under the chassis of the vehicle. A trailer for John Greenwood Racing Corvettes. The team, with 2nd driver Bob Johnson, in a medium shot (6:04). Driver’s POV: The car pulls out of the pits, away from mechanics and onto the road (6:40). Johnson in the driver’s seat (7:30). BF Goodrich reps put street radial tires on the car (8:15). The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 (#56, #6) and a Porsche 911 Carerra (#48). A Mirage M6 (#9). The Ferrari 312PB-73 (#17, #16). The Matra-Simca MS670B (#14, #11) (8:34). A vendor sells programs. A ticket is torn. Flags of many countries wave in a summer breeze (9:07). A marching band. The Greenwood/Goodrich team discusses pit stop procedures (9:33). Pit crews prepare their vehicles for action. The race begins. Spectators take to their feet (10:24). Sports cars zoom past photographers. Ferraris take the lead (10:59). POV inside the BF Goodrich Corvette on the Mulsanne Straight. Matras close in on the #16 Ferrari (11:28). Flowers blow in the wind. A pit stop for #29 (12:00). Sports cars viewed from the rear as they come out of a turn (12:41). The crew learns that Bob Johnson is off the course (13:14). Johnson tells his story, blaming the engine rather than the tires (13:36). A Chevy press box (14:19). Night racing. A carnival ride. A dance. Bumper cars (14:48). In the morning, the race continues (15:23). A French Matra-Simca driven by Henri Pescalarolo and Gerard Larrousse crosses the finish line. The winners celebrate (15:45). End credits: Narrated by Jim Nettleton; Produced and directed by John Toutkaldjian; Capital Cities Television Productions (16:21).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com