A historical inspiration

In June 1966, the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans car race will see the most sensational duel in the history of motorsport: Ford versus Ferrari. A legendary race, which will inspire Luc Kieffer in his collection of jewelry and accessories for men.

Ford vs Ferrari: A corporate takeover project gone wrong

In the early 1960s, the Ferrari racing team had already won six consecutive races at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, its founder and director, Enzo Ferrari, was facing some financial problems at the same time. Henry Ford II, heir and grandson of the brand's creator, saw his car brand running out of steam and wanted to make it shine again. He learned that Ferrari was being put up for sale and negotiated the purchase of the company.

Reading the draft contract, Enzo Ferrari realized that by accepting this offer, he would no longer have any control over his racing team, something that had never been agreed with Ford during the numerous discussions.

Thus, according to legend, Enzo Ferrari simply left the meeting and told his lawyer: "Let's go to dinner instead." Rumor has it that Ferrari entered into negotiations with Ford, with the sole aim of raising the stakes, with a view to a takeover by the Fiat brand.

A desire for revenge

Vexed by this dismissive reaction, Henry Ford then set himself the goal of beating Ferrari on a terrain he knew so well: the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. To compete with luxury cars, he had the iconic Ford GT40 built and asked Carroll Shelby to make the final adjustments, so that the car would be as efficient as possible.

Ford's legendary landslide victory

With its new car, which cost $500 million to develop, Ford won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, dominating the race for 23 hours. Ferrari, humiliated, eventually abandoned the race due to mechanical problems.

To further mark its feat, Ford wanted the race to end with a three-car group crossing the finish line. The Ford pit therefore took the liberty of asking driver Ken Miles to slow down on the last lap, so that the other two cars could reach him and pass under the checkered flag at almost the same time.

The image of this Ford hat-trick will leave a lasting impression.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans race at the heart of Luc Kieffer’s creations:

Passionate about major car races, and admiring everything related to this world, Luc Kieffer had a dream: to participate in his own way in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. From this wish came the idea of ​​creating jewelry and accessories intended for men.

The designer therefore began by sketching out designs of what would become his future collection: cufflinks, tie pins and collar stays. Luc Kieffer then proposed his creations to the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest), creator and organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, who immediately accepted this collaboration.

The lines, the technology of racing cars, the personality and the style of Steve McQueen, are his main sources of inspiration and represent the common thread of his collection. This is composed of cufflinks in the colors of the participating teams since the beginning of the race and each color bears the first name of the emblematic drivers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.