The fastest Porsche was the flat-8 of Gerhard Mitter who put in a 3:59.4 to qualify 18th ahead of the other Cobras and the Maserati. Mauro Bianchi, in the new Alpine, was quickest of the small cars coming in 35th with a 4:20.0. In the end only 51 cars took the start when the small 1-litre Abarth failed to qualify. After a wet week, race-day was sunny and hot with a huge crowd. It was also the first time the American audience had live coverage of the race. Although having set fastest time, Chris Amon took the start and Phil Hill was the TV guest. As it was, when the live-feed failed Hill took over commentating duties. Siffert got his Maserati away first, followed by the three Fords of Amon, Bondurant and McLaren. Last away was Colin Davis whose Porsche prototype refused to start for two minutes. The two New Zealanders, McLaren and Amon, led the first lap with Surtees up to third as the Maserati fell back. On the fourth lap Siffert planted the Maserati into the haybales at Tertre Rouge. When he finally got back to the pits the car was retired with damage to the oil tank and suspension. It was an underwhelming end to Maserati's presence at Le Mans. But his was not the first retirement: the Dino was gone. Baghetti had over-revved the engine terminally damaging it. Teodoro Zeccoli put his Alfa Romeo in the sandtrap at Mulsanne. He excited the spectators by stripping to his underwear in a long, unsuccessful attempt to dig it out. Back at the front, McLaren and then Amon set about building a lead on the Ferraris, setting new lap records. After two hours only the top four cars were now on the lead lap with Miles ahead of the Ferraris of Scarfiotti, Bonnier and Parkes. But going into the third hour it all started going wrong for Ford. Hill had already fallen away with clutch problems costing 40 minutes in the pits and the French Ford had broken its gearbox when Trintignant had missed a gearchange. The Filipinetti and Walker cars went out with blown head gaskets on the same lap, and when the McLaren/Miles car broke its gearbox the Ford challenge was beaten in only three hours. Small consolation was Phil Hill's new lap record of 3:37.5 as he vainly attempted to make up the 10 laps of lost time.