Ford announced on Friday its return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2027 in the premier Hypercar category with a prototype which will compete in the World Auto Endurance Championship (WEC).

In a statement, the American manufacturer, which won the legendary event four years in a row from 1966 to 1969, said it hoped to "recapture the magic and success of Ford racing nearly 60 years ago".

Ford already made a winning return to the race in 2016 in the LMGTE (Grand Touring Endurance) category, beating Ferrari, as it did in 1966.

"There is no track or race that means more to our history than Le Mans," said Bill Ford, executive chairman of the manufacturer based near Detroit, Michigan.

"It is where we took on Ferrari and won in the 1960s. It is where we returned 50 years later and shocked the world and beat Ferrari again."

The great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of the American brand, added: "I am thrilled that we're going back to Le Mans and competing at the highest level of endurance racing. We are ready to once again challenge the world, and 'go like hell!'"

The announcement confirms the growing attractiveness of the Hypercar category which already has eight manufacturers for the 2025 season -- Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota -- and in 2026 will welcome the South Korean marque Hyundai, via its premium Genesis brand.

Ford has increased its sporting programmes in recent years and will notably make its return to Formula One 1 in 2026 as an engine partner for the Red Bull and RB teams.

The American manufacturer also made its first appearance at the Dakar Rally in 2024 with Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom finishing third.

nb/bsp/gj