See also Legacy of the FFR Roadster and Shelby and Cobra Development sections.
24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is the world's oldest sports car endurance race. Run on public roads since 1923, Le Mans took on special significance in the 1960s when the dominance of European manufacturers, especially Ferrari, was challenged by Ford in several classic, and violent, match-ups.
Le Mans has two major categories — Prototype (P) and Grand Touring (GT) — which are run simultaneously. P-class vehicles are purpose-built race cars, while GT class cars are derived from street versions sold to the public. AC Cobras competed in the GT class; the term “GT class” is not to be confused with the Ford GT40 that won the 1966-69 P class.
The Le Mans race lasts exactly 24 hours, as the name implies, with two-man teams; the team that completes the most laps wins.
Only the AC Ace Bristol and the 289 AC Cobra raced at Le Mans. The 427 AC Cobra was never entered in Le Mans.
| Year | Position | Class | Team/manufacturer | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 10 | GT² | AC Cars Ltd. | Peter Bolton, Ken Rudd | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 281 |
| 1958 | 8 | GT² | AC Cars Ltd. | Peter Bolton, Richard Stoop | AC Ace LM Prototype | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 257 |
| 1958 | 9 | GT² | AC Cars Ltd. | Hubert Patthey, George Berger | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 255 |
| 1959 | 7 | GT | Rudd Racing Ltd./AC Cars Ltd. | Ted Whiteaway, John Turner | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 273 |
| 1960 | 25 | GT | Ecurie Laussannoise/AC Cars Ltd. | André Wicky, Georges Gachnang | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 239¹ |
| 1960 | 37 | GT | Rambaux/AC Cars Ltd. | Jean Rambaux, Pierre Boutin | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 130¹ |
| 1961 | 17 | GT | Equipe Chardonnet/AC Cars Ltd. | Jean-Claude Magne, Georges Alexandrovitch | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 261 |
| 1961 | 40 | GT | Ecurie Lausannoise/AC Cars Ltd. | André Wicky, Edgar Berney | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 115¹ |
| 1962 | 45 | GT | Andres Chardonnet/AC Cars Ltd. | Jean-Claude Magne, Maurice Martin | AC Ace | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 49¹ |
| 1963 | 7 | GT | Hurlock/AC Cars Ltd. | Peter Bolton, Ninian Sanderson | AC Cobra hardtop | Ford 4.7L V8 | 310 |
| 1963 | 23 | GT | Hugus/AC Cars Ltd. | Ed Hugus, Peter Jopp | AC Cobra coupe | Ford 4.7L V8 | 127¹ |
| 1964 | 4³ | GT | Shelby-American Inc./AC Cars Ltd. | Dan Gurney, Bob Bondurant | AC Cobra Shelby Daytona | Ford 4.7L V8 | 334 |
| 1964 | 18 | GT | Société Chardonnet/AC Cars Ltd. | Régis Fraissinet, Jean de Mortemart | AC Cobra | Ford 4.7L V8 | 289 |
| 1964 | 34 | GT | Briggs S. Cunningham/AC Cars Ltd. | Chris Amon, Jochen Neerpasch | AC Cobra Shelby Daytona | Ford 4.7L V8 | 131¹ |
| 1964 | 41 | GT | AC Cars Ltd. | Peter Bolton, Jack Sears | AC Cobra coupe | Ford 4.7L V8 | 77¹ |
| 1965 | 8 | GT | AC Cars Ltd. | Jack Sears, Richard Thompson | AC Cobra Shelby Daytona | Ford 4.7L V8 | 304 |
| 1965 | 22 | GT | Shelby-American Inc./AC Cars Ltd. | Jerry Grant, Dan Gurney | AC Cobra Shelby Daytona | Ford 4.7L V8 | 204¹ |
| 1965 | 27 | GT | Shelby-American Inc./AC Cars Ltd. | Bob Johnson, Tom Payne | AC Cobra Shelby Daytona | Ford 4.7L V8 | 158¹ |
| 1965 | 31 | GT | Scuderia Filipinetti/AC Cars Ltd. | Peter Harper, Peter Sutcliffe | AC Cobra Shelby Daytona | Ford 4.7L V8 | 126¹ |
| 1965 | 33 | GT | Ford France S.A./AC Cars Ltd. | Jo Schlesser, Allen Grant | AC Cobra Shelby Daytona | Ford 4.7L V8 | 111¹ |
1. did not finish
2. Super 2000 (S2000), a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) sanctioned sub-classification for GT
3. 4th position overall, but winner of the GT class