1964: A VERY SPECIAL EDITION
For several reasons the 13th Tour de France Automobile - the 1964 one - was a historical edition. Indeed in 1964 Ford Dearborn started its world wide publicity campaign of Total Performance. For the first time the American giant entered the FIA Manufacturers World Championship for Grand Touring cars. That championship was won since 1959 year after year by Ferrari. Especially the 3.0 Ferrari 250 GTO, launched in 1962, was an unbeatable car. Up to 1964 Enzo Ferrari let drive those cars by pure gentleman drivers. When Ford joined the series with its 4.7 AC Cobra Daytona - a brilliant car developed by Carol Shelby - the Commendatore gave his gentleman racers a new weapon, the 3.3 Ferrari 250 LM. It was nothing else than a prototype with a roof. Indeed, the LM was nothing else than the 3.0 Ferrari 250P, having won the 1963 Le Mans 24 hours, in a closed version. However, the FIA refused an homologation of the 250 LM, considering that it was not a Grand Touring car, but a simple prototype.
Now that the Prancing Horse had to contest the Manufacturers Worlds with their old car, Ford saw a unique opportunity to beat the unbeatable 250 GTO with Shelby's new weapon. New was that in 1964 the Tour de France was one of the 20 rounds counting for the Manufacturers Worlds. It was the one but last round. For Ford the combat with the three years old 250 GTOs was much more intense than initially was believed. They had been beaten more than was inspected, and if Ford wished to win the 1964 Manufacturer Worlds, they had no other choice than winning the Tour de France. So Shelby came to Lille, where the start was given, with no less than three well prepared full works Cobras Daytona. The proud Enzo Ferrari, from his side, did not the smallest effort to counter Ford. He counted once more on his privateers to finish the job. Ferrari came at the start with no less than eight private 250 GTOs, two of them being the better profiled 1964 version.
The Ford-Ferrari combat, raging from 1964 thru 1967, was something absolutely never seen. European people having been never interested in motoring, at once chose massively the side of the underdog (Ferrari) having to fight against the billion dollars giant of Dearborn, showing with computer designed works cars.

TWO FERRARIS GTO having finished as first and second. The #172 is Écurie Francorchamp's driven by Lucien Bianchi. The #168 is Jean Guichet's private car.

BELOW - One of the three full works Cobra Daytonas. Here the #187 shared by Bob Bondurant (USA) and Jochen Neerpasch (D). On the other works cars Carol Shelby selected French drivers with a great Tour de France experience.

But Ford came at the start with several works cars more. Knowing the prestige of the Tour de France, and its impact upon sales in Europe, they came with four 4.7 Fords Mustang, wonderfully prepared by Alan Mann (GB). Those cars were entered to win the Touring class. Two other full works Fords were the 1.6 Cortinas Lotus for Vic Elford (GB) and Trevor Taylor. With those cars Ford aimed to win the famous ruban tricolore, rewarding the handicap winner. Moreover Dearborn had several privately entered cars at the start, among them a 7.0 Ford Galaxie 500 for Peter Jopp (GB) and a 1.6 Ford Cortina Lotus for Gilbert Stapelaere (B). Winning the handicap has a great commercial value. Here Ford will find on its way serious competitors, showing themselves with well prepared works machinery. Zuffenhausen sends no less than four of its newest cars to Lille: the 2.0 Porsche Carrera 904 GTS having replaced the former Carrera 2. But there is also Alfa Romeo entering three works cars by its racing division Autodelta. It concerns the 1.6 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super TI. One year earlier the Super TI, having replaced the Giuletta TI, was refused in the Touring class since no 1000 copies were already sold. Nevertheless the car finished fifth overall and was, just as in 1962, second in the handicap standings, despite only 105 bhp. In the GT class Autodelta shows with three other candidate winners, having been tuned from 105 bhp to 157 bhp. It concerns the 1.6 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ-1.
Now that Ford, Porsche and Alfa Romeo show with works cars, several smaller teams follow their example.

BMC come, having won the handicap last year (on finishing third overall) with their 1.3 BMC Mini-Cooper 1300S, sends no less than four works cars to Lille, with nothing but top drivers. How great the commercial impact of the Tour is for automobile manufacturers is proven by N.S.U. (Neckarsulmer Fahrzeugwerke AG). Their direct competitor on the market is D.K.W. entering this year two works cars in the Tour, their 1.0 D.K.W. F12, plus a 0.9 D.K.W. F11. That are GT cars. The 1.0 N.S.U 1000 Prinz, however is a pure touring car, but CSAN - running the Neckarsulmer works cars - asks the organisers if they can start in the GT class, since otherwise D.K.W. should have no serious competitors to win the under 1,000 cc class. CSAN sends thus four units of the 1000 Prinz to Lille. Their good performance at the Spa 24 hours let them hope that they even can finish better than twelfth last year. They even contracted the famous José Béhra, winner of last year's Tour in Jean Guichet's Ferrari 250 GTO!
Eventually Ford has three concrete goals on entering the 12th Tour de France: (1) they go after the overall victory with one of their three Cobra Daytonas; (2) they wish absolutely to defeat with Alan Mann's Mustangs the 3.8 Jaguar Mk II Saloon of Bernard Consten, having won the Touring class no less than five times in a row (1959-1963); and (3) they are confident that they can win the handicap with their 1.6 Ford Cortina Lotus.

MUCH MORE THAN JUST RACING: LE TOUR C'EST UN ART DE VIVRE!
The American mechanics, being for the first time in Europe, can - just as Carol Shelby's complete staff not believe their eyes. In the States nobody should take any interest in applying ribbons to their cars as is done here in France. For the French, however, those "rubans" are sacrified. After each stage the leader in the overall standings has to apply the "ruban jaune" to the front of his car. The leader in the handicap standings has to apply the famous "ruban tricolore" and the winner in the Touring class has to apply the "ruban rouge". Americans cannot understand either that there are no other prizes to win than just those ribbons. But those ribbons are the centre of advertising: any European automobile manufacturer hopes that he can advertise after the race that one of his cars won one of those highly appreciate ribbons.
But entering the Tour is much more than just racing. Famous are the banquets and the parties at the end of the day. Then the perfect Shell Berre buffets wait racers, team members and mechanics. They can enjoy the oysters, lobsters, exotic fruits and the liberal champagne at the Shell banquets. Arriving at Cognac mister Martell is present with free samples of his best liquor. "What a rally is this!" and "This event must be the best motoring all-rounder in the world!" write American journalists in their newspapers and magazines.
Someone had to tell them that the Tour de France is no rally at all, that it is something that only can exist in France, that it is un art de vivre. Of all races in the world the Tour de France is the most Burgundian. It's something for the bon vivant, totally unknown in the stressful countries overseas. You come not to the Tour just to win it, you come also for all the glitter and fun hanging around.

ABOVE IN THE MID - Allan Mann's 4.7 Ford Mustang Hardtop having just won the 1964 Tour de France, here seen before the Boulogne film studio's with movie actor Peter Ustinov leaning against it. WITH #38 THE CORTINA Ford will try to win the famous "ruban tricolore" for the overall winner of the handicap. 

THE HILL-CLIMBS IN THE TOUR
For the machinery the Tour de France is one of the most demanding experiences. Famous where the several hill-climbs under way - some of them being scheduled during the night. In 1964 the first hill-climb is that of the 956 metre high Col de Bramont in the Vosges at stage 2. A soft one. Much more difficult is stage 7 in the Pyrenees where the competitors have to go over the Aubisque (1740 m) and the Tourmalet (2115m), both at the public road section from Cognac to Pau. On their way from Pau to Albi (stage 9) all competitors have to go during the night over sevaral cols, among them the Col de Minier (1264 m). Stage 11 (on the public road)  from Albi goes through the Auvergne and finishes at the Col de Chevalérie (1198 m). Stage 13 is a clocked hill-climb of the Mont-Ventoux (1909 m). Stage 16 is again a clocked hill-climb over the serpentine in the Alps of the Col de Turini (1532 m). At the last stage - stage 17 - over the public road the survivors have to go over the Chamrousse (2250 m, a famous winter sport centre at 30kilometres from Grenoble), the Col de Braus (1002 m), a mountain pass in the Alps, connecting Sospel and L'Escarène.
The Ford mechanics had little experience how to set-up their cars for such special events as hill-climbs. To prepare the Tour de France they contested Liège-Soàfia-Liège. In the Pyrenees e.g. Alan Mann's set-up of the suspension of the Mustangs (called "the Ponies") was completely wrong, and valuable time was lost at the Aubisque and the Tourmalet.

THE SPEED CIRCUITS
Eventually most public road sections go to a speed circuit in France. So ends the first stage from Lille to Rheims at the ultra fast, narrow and dangerous circuit de Reims-Gueux (8.301 kms, closed in 1972), famous for its Rheims 12 hours. The second public road section ends at the difficult circuit de Rouen-les-Essarts (6.542 kms, closed in 1994). The next stage from Rouen to Le Mans ends at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit (4.180 kms, still in use). From Le Mans it goes over the public road to Cognac, where a speed stage is scheduled on the Cognac airport. From Cognac it goes over the road to Pau to the circuit of Pau-Armos (3.030 km, still existing). Then it goes over the public road from Pau to Albi, passing the Col de Minier for a clocked hill-climb. In Albi the competitors find the circuit de Séquestre d'Albi (3.636 kms, still existing). From Albi it goes over the public road to Clermont-Ferrand where the twisty  Charade cirrcuit d'Auvergne (8.055 kms, still existing but in abbreviated version) waits the survivors. After a trip through the Alps towards the terrible Mont-Ventoux, it goes from there to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza (5.793 kms) where the last speed tests (two) are contested before going (again) through the Alps to the finish at the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
The Tour de France of 196 was thus a combination of 17 speed stages, nine of them on motoring circuits and eight of them on hill-climbs, plus the necessary intersections over the public road. Total distance was over 6,000 kms, spread over nine days of racing with arrival on September 20. On the speed circuits one had to race during one hour or one and a half hour, 10h30 in total. "The mixture of rallying, circle tracks and hillclimbing races caused the special outstanding thrill to drivers as well as spectators. However it demanded a well-balanced synergy of experience, technical and driving ambitions and skills as well as healthy and trained body and mind conditions from the participants."

Porsche Zuffenhausen came to the start of the 1964 Tour de France with no less than four well prepared works cars, all Porsches 904 GTS. Here Robert Buchet leads the silvergrey train, followed by Günther Klass,  Christian Poirot and Herbert Müller.

FROM LILLE TO LE MANS (STAGES 1 TO 4)
Stage 1 - No less than 117 cars were seen at the start in Lille with 61 entrants in group GT and 56 in group T. The first stage on the Rheims circuit is won in GT by the #187 4.7 Shelby Cobra Daytona GT of Bob Bondurant. Jean Guichet looses considerable time (17 minutes!) when he has to change his 12 plugs during racing time.The 205 bhp works Porsches are surprisingly beaten by the Autodelta 152 bhp Alfa Romeo TZ1 of Edgar Berney/Giampiero Biscaldi. Among the Touring cars the 4.7 Fords Mustang won the three first places with Peter Procter (#83) heading Peter Harper (#85) and Bo Ljungfeldt (#82). The Galaxie 500, driven by sir Gawaine Baillie runs in technical problems, having to go into the pits with an exploded engine after having improved the tourer's record with a lap at 181.790 kph.
Stage 2 -  The hill-climb of Bramont is smooth enough that Bob Bondurant can win again with Jean Guichet in the #168 Ferrari 250 GTO close behind. In the two-litre class Christian Poirot, the hill-climb specialist, will beat all the works Porsches, winning even overall the handicap. Ford realises again the double, just as on the Rheims circuit, since Peter Procter is first among the tourers. Here Rauno Aalktonen in the 1.3 works BMC Mini-Cooper 1300S is the eye catcher, letting all other hairy tourers far behind.
Stage 3 - On the twisty circuit of Rouen-les Essarts, Carol Shelby looses his first Cobra with a broken gearbox support. Bob Bondurant's #187 is already out. However, another works Cobra, Maurice Trintignant's #188 - a Ford France entry supported by Shelby - wins the ruban jaune ahead over the GTO Ferraris of Lucien Bianchi and Fernand Tavano. Günther Klass wins with his #158 Porsche 904 GTS the handicap at Rouen. The Jean Rey/Jean Pierre Hanrioud #163 Porsche 904 GTS - a private entry - falls off with an oil shortage. Out too is Jean Vincent's 4.7 Cobra Roadster with a broken differential. In the Touring class Bo Ljungfeldt wins at Rouen with the #82 Alan Mann Ford Mustangg, beating his team mates Procter and Harper. In the handicap standings for the ruban tricolore the 1.6 Autodelta Alfa Romeo TZ-1 of Berney/Biscaldi is leadinq after Rouen.
Stage 4 - On the way to Le Mans Berney, the handicao leader,  overrevs the motor of his 1.6 Alfa Romeo TZ-1 and has to retire. At the Bugatti circuit of Le Mans Maurice Trintignant wins his second stage and takes the ruban jaune for the overall leader. Henri Greder (#83 Mustang) wins the Touring class and leads now his class in the overall standings. "Kim"/Bruno Deserti and their 1.6 Alfa Romeo TZ-1 are the new handicap leaders. Aaltonen is out at Le Mans. At Le Mans Michel Fougerey (#45 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super TI) is killed in a fatal accident. For the four works NSUs Le Mans is a disaster since they realise all four a zero parcours.

The Touring cars ready for the start on the narrow and dangerous 8.301 kms circuit of Rheims. On the front row we find the #75 3.8 Jaguar Mk II Saloon of Bernard Consten and Clkaude Le Guezec (who replaced Jack Renel), the #84 4.7 Mustang Ford of Henri Greder and Martial Delalande and the #99 7.0 Ford Galaxie 500 of Peter Jobb and sir Gawaine Baillie. At Rheims the Touring cars and the Grand Touring cars raced in separated groups.

FROM COGNAC TO THE MINIER HILL-CLIMB (STAGES 5 TO 9)
Stage 5 -  At Le Mans Ferrari looses two of its cars. Fernand Tavano in his own car (#173) suffers a broken piston, and David Piper in the Maranello Concessionaires #176 is disqualified for an illegal refuel. On the way to Cognac Ford looses its two other 4.7 Shelby Cobras Daytona GT: the #188 of Maurice Trintignant with a broken wheel bearing and the #186 of André Simon - having suffered a reluctant engine since the start after a fall from the truck - with a broken motor. Lucien Bianchi (#172 Ferrari 250 GTO) wins the speed race at the Cognac airport and takes the ruban jaune as new overall leader. The Ferraris 250 GTO Claude Dubois/Philippe de Montaigu (#175) and Annie Soisbault de Montaigu/Nicole Roure (#170, the 1964 version) - up to then in the top-5 of the overall standings - realise both a zero parcours and drop seriously in the standings. 
Peter Procter (#83 Ford Mustang) is again faster than Bernard Consten (#75 Jaguar Mk II Saloon) among the tourers. Handicap win at Cognac goes to Mauro Bianchi in the 1.1 works Alpine-Renault A110, ahead of the two 1.2 works Triumphs Spitfire GT6 LM.
Under heavy rain the 1.8 M.G.B. 1800 Roadster Mk1 of Andrew Hedges/John Spinzel causes a stir by finishing eight overall, ahead over all Alfa Romeos, several Porsches and all Lotuses Elan.
The handicap leading Alfa Romeo TZ-1 of "Kim"/Deserti falls out wihen "Kim" is victim of an intoxication, and BMC takes now the three first places of the handicap with Timo Makinen, Paddy Hopkirk and Geoff Mabbs.
Stage 6 - On the hill-climb of the Col du Tourmalet Günther Klass beats all Ferraris with his #158 Porsche 904 GTS. whilst Bernard Consten  beats easily the four Alan Mann Mustangs, suffering all from a wrong suspension. The three remaining BMC Minis are outstanding and take the three first places in their class, holding the lead in the handicap.
Stage 7 - Similar situation at the hill-climb of the Col d'Aubisque where Robert Buchet (#160 Porsche 904 GTS) is faster than all GTO Ferraris and where Bernard Consten beats the Alan Mann Mustangs again with Bo Ljungfeldt finishing as second, close behind. The BMC Coopers hold their 1-2-3 for the handicap standings and are now followed by Jacques Thuner/Jean Gretener with the #132 Triumph Spirfire. Rob Slotemaker, with the other works Spitfire, looses 32 kms on the road marks in the Pyrenees and drops in the standings.
Stage 8 - On the way to Pau on the narrow road along dangerous walls and tunnels the Ferraris and the Porsches are in heavy troubles under torrential rain. Nevertheless Günther Klass scores his second outright win with the #159 Porsche 904 GTS, letting Jean Guichet (#168 Ferrari 250 GTO) just behind. Lucien Bianchi holds the lead for the ruban jaune but Guichet is closing.
Bo Ljungfeldt is fastest with his Mustang, but by finishing third among the tourers, Bo  Vic Elford in the #38 Ford Cortina Lotus can take the ruban tricolore, letting Timo Makinen and his BMC Mini-Cooper ... 71 metres behind. Bo Ljungfeldt has ignition problems on his way to Minier. Two scrutineers help him to push his car. After he is disqualified for ... pushing his car. Just furious he retires. In the overall ranking for Touring cars Procter and Harper jump over Greder, the former leader. On the way to Minier we loose the fantastic M.G.B. works car of Hedges and Sprinzel - up to then seventh in the overall ranking - with a blown cylinder head gasket. The Michel Weber/Herbert Muller Porsche 904 GTS - sixth overall - is lost by accident on its way to Pau at the misty col de Jau. The three DKWs are all three out with mechanical problems but at CSAN they lost already two of their four works NSU Prinz. At Pau Jean Behra finishes 10th overall with the 1.0 works N.S.U. 1000 Prinz.
Stage 9 - At the hill-climb of Minier the Porsches cannot win their fourth consecutive stage. Now they are dominated by the Ferraris 250 GTO. Lucien Bianchi wins ahead over Jean Guichet and Claude Dubois. Bernard Consten takes the Minier among the tourers and is now third in the overall ranking for Touring cars. Henri Greder suffers a broken schock absorber and looses his third place. The handicap at Minier is won by Rob Slotemaker in the works Spitfire. Since Hopkirk (Mini-Cooper) finishes fourth overall at Minier, he takes the ruban tricolore back from Vic Elford (Cortina Lotus).

Alfa Romeo showed at Lille with three works 1.6 Alfa Romeos TZ-1 at the start, one of them being the Scuderia San Ambroeus entry of "Kim"/Bruno Deserti. After Le Mans they were leaders of the handicap, but at Cognac the car is retired after an intoxication of "Kim". Earlier the Swiss TZ-1 of Edgar Berney/John Gretener was leading the handicap after a fine performance at Rouen. On the way to Le Mans (stage 4) Berney overrevs his motor and is out. Only one TZ-1 remains, the #150 of Jean Rolland/Gabriel Augias. Having lost considerable time at the Col de Bramont and Le Mans, they make a strong come-back at the second half of the race, winning five consecutive handicaps. Scratch the car will finish seventh.

FROM ALBI TO THE MONT-VENTOUX (STAGES 10 TO 13)
Stage 10 -  At Albi Jean Guichet (Ferrari 250 GTO) beats Lucien Bianchi. Sylvain Garant in the other GTO Ferrari is out after a second zero parcours. The touring class is won by Peter Procter/Andy Cowen, ahead over Greder/Delalande, jumping over Consten/Le Guezec to the third place in the overall Touring standings. The Mini-Coopers do very well and Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon maintain the lead in the handicap standings, less than 100 metres away from Timo Makinen/Paul Easter in the other works Mini-Cooper. Vic Elkford/David Seigle-Morris in the works Cortina-Lotus are third, followed by the 1.6 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super TI (#140) of Fernand Masoero/Jean Maurin. The two preceding years Masoero finished as runner-up in the handicap, bringing his Alfa home as fourth overall last year.
Stage 11 - At the Chevalerie hill-climb Robert Buchet offers Porsche their fourth scratch win ahead of Jean Rolland in the #150 Alfa Romeo TZ-1. Rob Slotemaker wins the handicap with his works Spitfire. The Touring class is won by Henri Greder. On the road to the Charade circuit in Auvergne Henry Greder happens to be caught between a house wall and a fence after a spectacular driving incident. With just 10cm remaining space up front and at his rear end and using his 289 brutal engine power, leaving his headlights and taillights partially behind, he succeeds to get out of this trap, but some of the damage pulled him out of the race on the road to Monza later. Paddy Hopkirk finishes as fourth, moving up to the fourth place scratch in the Touring standings, ahead of Elford's Cortina and Masoero's Alfa.
Stage 12 - On his way to Clermont-Ferrand and the Charade circuit in Auvergne Makinen and his Mini-Cooper are in trouble and drops in the overall standings to rank 17. Lucien Bianchi wins the big class at Charade, but by winning the handicap Rob Slotemaker and his works spitfire move up to the fifth place scratch, headed by the Ferraris GTO of Bianchi and Guichet and two works Porsches. The Touring group is won by Henri Greder and his Ford Mustang, after having been dominated until the last laps by the Jaguar of Bernard Consten. At Charade Hopkirk looses the handicap lead for the ruban tricolore to the Ford Cortina Lotus of Elford. Masoero and his Alfa are now third in the handicap, followed by Slotemaker.
Stage 13 - The Mont-Ventoux hill-climb is won by Jean Guichet in his Ferrari 250 GTO, closely followed by the ruban jaune holder Lucien Bianchi in a similar car. Then follow the Porsches 904 GTS, split up by Rolland's Alfa Romeo TZ-1, winning the handicap. Among the tourers Bernard Consten wins his third stage after the wheel of his Jaguar Mk II Saloon. Handicap win among the tourers is for Fernand Masoero who clocked the third best time scratch with his Alfa Romeo Giulia Super TI. Overall handicap goes, to Jean Rolland and his Alfa Romeo TZ-1. All but one works Alpines are already out after technical woes.

FROM MONZA TO NICE (STAGES 14 TO 17)
Stage 14 - On the way to Italy and the Monza circuit Makinen is out when he has to go off the road to avoid a collision with a milk camion. A reluctant motor on the Col de la Croix enforces Paddy Hopkirk to retire another works BMC Mini-Cooper, whilst the Geoff Mabbs Mini was already out with a loss of oil pressure. At once nothing more is left of BMC's brilliant standings in the handicap. With all works-Minis out, Pauline Mayman/Valérie Domleo, in the John Wadsworth Mini, cannot save the situation, since a zero parcours at Charade made them loosing their third place in the handicap. Out to on the way to Monza is the Mustang of Henri Greder having not fully recovered of the accident on the way to Charade. The sprint race at Monza, under the eyes of Enzo himself, is won by Annie Soisbault de Montaigu (Ferrari 250 GTO-64) heading Lucien Bianchi, Claude Dubois, Jean Guichet (having no more brakes at the finish) and the Porsches 904 GTS. At Monza Peter Procter and Peter Harper realise the perfect dead-heath among the tourers, three kilometres away from Bernard Consten in the underpowered Jaguar Mk II Saloon. Handicap is again won by Jean Rolland and his Alfa Romeo TZ-1. The last Alpine - Jacques Cheinisse's - will have its engine exploded at Monza, but will still be classified among the finishers.
Stage 15 - On their way from Monza to the finish three more hill-climbs watch the survivors. They are 17 out of 61 among the GT cars, 19 out of 56 among the T-cars. The hill-climb of the col de Turini is won by the Porsche 904 GTS of Robert Buchet ahead of the similar machinery of Günther Klass. Bernard Consten in the #75 Jaguar Mk II SAloon wins his third stage among the tourers, heading the two surviving Ford Mustangs, Elford's Cortina Lotus and Masoero's Alfa. Handicap is for the third consecutrive time won by Jean Rolland and his Alfa Romeo TZ-1, now passing the Porsches 904 GTS of Christian Poirot/Claude Marbaque (#158) and of Eddy Meert/Wim de Jonghe, and moving up to the fifth raank scratch, despite his disastrous start at Rheims and the Col Bramont.  Elford still leads the handicap ranking, followed by Masoero, Buchet, Klass and Slotemaker.
Stage 16 - If Bernard Consten wishes to win his sixth consecutive Tour de France he will have to beat the two surviving Alan Mann Mustangs at the two last hill-climbs: Chamrousse and the Col de Braus. However the Chamrousse hill-climb is won by Peter Harper in the Alan Mann Mustang. The GT group is won by Jean Guichet, in the overall ranking always behind Lucien Bianchi. Jean Rolland wins again the handicap, already his fourth consecutive and his sixth of this Tour.
Stage 17 - The last obstacle on the way to the finish at the Promenade des Anglais is the hill-climb of the Col de Braus. Lucien Bianchi/Georges Berger win ahead over Jean Guichet/Michel de Bourbon-Parme. In the overall standings they'll finish in that order, followed by Robert Buchet/Herbert Linge and Günther Klass/Rolf Wütherich in their Porsches 904 GTS. Jean Rolland wins his fifth consecutive handicap, but will fail to pass the Porsches 904 GTS of Christian Poirot/Claude Marbaque and Eddy Meert/Wim de Jonghe classified just ahead. He'll finish seventh overall. 
Poor Bernard Consten wins his fourth stage among the tourers, but that's not enough to win a sixth consecutive Tour de France. The Touring group is effectively won by Peter Procter/Andrew Cowan (finishing eight overall) ahead of Peter Harper/David Pollard, both with the Alan Mann Ford Mustangs. Bernard Consten/Claude Le Guezec will finish third among the tourers and tenth overall. Eleventh rank is for Vic Elford and David Seigle-Morris, winning with their Ford Cortina Lotus the ruban tricolore and the handicap, ahead over Fernand Masoero/Jean Maurin and their Alfa Romeo Giulietta Super TI, finishing twelfth overall.

The 3.0 Ferrari 250 GTO/64 of Annie Soisbault de Montaigu and Nicole Roure had a zero parcours at Cognac and dropped in the standings. The car finished 14th overall but won the Ladies Cup ahead over Louisette Texier and Marie-Louise Mermot, having finished 17th at the wheel of a 3.8 Jaguar Mk II Saloon and Pauline Mayman/Valérie Domléo finishing 28th with a 1.3 BMC Mini-Cooper 1300S