The series was known under different names throughout the years, including World Sportscar Championship (1953–1961), International Championship for GT Manufacturers (1962–1965), International Manufacturers Championship (1966–1967), International Championship for Makes (1968–1971), World Championship for Makes (1972–1975), World Sports Car Championship (1976–1977), World Endurance Championship (1982–1985), World Sports Prototype Championship (1986–1990), and Sportscar World Championship (1991–1992). Titles were awarded to manufacturers from 1953 to 1984 and to teams from 1985 to 1992.
The most famous event was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which was part of the championship in every season except for 1956, 1975–79, and 1989–90. The 24 Hours of Daytona followed near-continuous inclusion. Other races that counted towards the championships in certain years included the Mille Miglia (1953–57), 1000 km Nürburgring (1953–), RAC Tourist Trophy (1953–64), 12 Hours of Sebring (1953–), Carrera Panamericana (1953–54), Targa Florio (1955–73), 1000 km Monza (1963–2008), 1000 km Spa (1963–), 12 Hours of Reims (1964–65), 1000 km Buenos Aires (1954–72), 1000 km Zeltweg (1966–76), 1000 km Fuji (1983–88), Norisring 200 Miles (1984–88), and Watkins Glen 6 Hours (1968–71, 1973–80).
In the early years, legendary races such as the Mille Miglia, Carrera Panamericana, and Targa Florio were part of the calendar. Manufacturers like Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Aston Martin fielded entries. Cars were split into two main categories: purpose-built sports prototypes and production-based grand tourers (GT cars). The Ferrari and Maserati works teams were fierce competitors, but Maserati never clinched the World title. The Mercedes-Benz work team withdrew after 1955, and the Aston Martin factory team struggled until winning the championship in 1959. The Jaguar works team was notably absent from overall results, only entering Le Mans.
In 1962, the FIA shifted the focus to production-based GT cars, and the World Sportscar Championship title was replaced by the International Championship for GT Manufacturers. The championship expanded to include smaller races, with about 15 races per season. For 1963, a prototype category was added. By 1965, engine classes were defined for cars under 1300 cc, under 2000 cc, and over 2000 cc, with the latter designed to attract American manufacturers.
The period between 1966 and 1971 was a successful era with classes for S (5 L sports cars) and P (3 L prototypes). Cars like the Ferrari 512S, Ferrari 330 P4, Ford GT40, Lola T70, Chaparral, Alfa Romeo 33, and Porsche's 908 and 917 battled on classic circuits. In 1972, a new Group 5 Sports Car class replaced Group 6 Prototype and Group 5 Sports Car classes, with engines limited to 3.0 L. From 1976 to 1981, the World Championship for Makes was open to Group 5 Special Production Cars and other production-based categories, during which the Porsche 935 dominated. Prototypes returned in 1976 with their own series, the World Championship for Sports Cars, lasting two seasons. In 1981, the FIA instituted a drivers championship.
In 1982, the FIA introduced Group C for closed sports-prototypes, limiting fuel consumption. Manufacturer support for the new regulations was immense, with several 'old guard' manufacturers returning. Races typically ran for 500 or 1000 km. Group B cars, a GT class, had sparse entries and disappeared from the series. Porsche was the first constructor to join with the 956, followed by Jaguar Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, and Aston Martin. A C2 class was created for privateer teams. For 1986, the World Endurance Championship became the World Sports-Prototype Championship. New rules for 1991, known as Group C Category 1, mandated 3500cc racing units, designed to incorporate Formula One engines. The championship took on the name FIA Sportscar World Championship for 1991, with the new 3.5-litre rules fully taking effect for 1992.
The new generation of WSC racing engines proved disastrous, with costs rising massively and manufacturers abandoning the sportscar series. Mercedes and Peugeot, in particular, elected to concentrate on or move solely to F1. The more exotic engines were unaffordable for smaller teams, and the series collapsed due to a lack of entries, leading to the cancellation of the 1993 season. In 1994, the World Sportscar title returned under the International Motor Sports Association in North America for use in the IMSA GT series. The BPR Global GT Series was introduced in 1994, leading to the FIA GT Championship in 1997. Prototypes were mainly absent from European tracks until 1997 with the creation of the International Sports Racing Series, which evolved into the FIA Sportscar Championship (2001–2003). Sports prototypes then came under the control of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and their sanctioned series. The FIA's championship for GTs was promoted to world championship status in 2010, while the ACO launched the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup the same year.
Following the success of the ACO's Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the FIA created a new FIA World Endurance Championship for 2012. The series shares many elements of the ILMC, including the use of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The series continued to utilize Le Mans Prototypes and GT Endurance (GTE) classes. Hypercar replaced LMP1 as the primary class in 2021. Championship titles are awarded for constructors and drivers in prototypes, while a constructors cup is awarded in the GTE categories. From 2017, championship titles are awarded also for constructors and drivers in the GTE category. LMGT3 replaced GTE in 2024.
In 1953-1984 seasons, titles were awarded to manufacturers of sports cars belonging to two main categories: Sports prototype and Grand Touring (GT). In 1985-1992 seasons, titles were awarded only to teams entering sports prototypes. In 1962-1967 seasons, titles in both categories were awarded in several engine capacity divisions. In 1962-1963 seasons, titles were also awarded in three engine capacity subdivisions within each division of GT cars category.
FIA World Endurance Championship
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