In 1964, Ford Motor Company began making an effort to defeat Ferrari at Le Mans. After two disastrous seasons in which Fords were unable to even complete the race, the American carmaker experienced an exciting 1-2-3 sweep in 1966. On the podium, Henry Ford II celebrated the decisive victory alongside the two New Zealand-born race winners, Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon.
In This Article...
The Real Meaning of “Ford v. Ferrari”
A battle of the automobile titans took place. At the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance event, a long-awaited battle pitting upstart Ford against reigning champion Ferrari for the checkered flag and bragging rights.
Enzo Ferrari, a former race car driver and the creator of the brand bearing his name, was the representative of the old world. The Ford GT40, a new version of a car that would go on to become a classic of international motor racing, and the skills of automotive designer Carroll Shelby were used by Henry Ford II to carry the torch for the new world.
SERPRESULT
The first race of the year occurred in Daytona, where the Fords finished an endurance race for the first time, capturing first and third, with a Shelby Cobra (running in second place).
Ford entered eight GT40s into the competition and ultimately finished first, second, and third to become the first American carmaker to take home the victory.
Le Mans 24 Hours
The 34th Grand Prix of Endurance, which took place on June 18 and 19, 1966, was the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 1966 World Sportscar Championship seventh round was also held at this event. Since Jimmy Murphy’s victory with Duesenberg at the 1921 French Grand Prix, this was both the first overall victory at Le Mans for the Ford GT40 and the first victory for an American constructor in a significant European race. Henri Pescarolo, who later set the record for the most Le Mans starts, and Jacky Ickx, whose record of six Le Mans triumphs remained until Tom Kristensen surpassed it in 2005, both made their Le Mans debuts.
Ken Miles lived and died in the fast lane, winning motorcycle races, piloting tanks in World War II, and guiding Ford to victory over Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the world of auto racing, Ken Miles was already well-known, but his role in helping Ford beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 catapulted him to fame.
Even though Miles’ success was fleeting, he is still regarded as one of the great American heroes of racing, and the movie Ford v. Ferrari was inspired by his exploits.
The Ford GT40 defeated Ferrari when?
This article is about the winning racing vehicle from the 1960 Le Mans. See Ford GT for the supercar that was inspired by it. See DEC GT40 for more information about the graphic computer terminal made by Digital Equipment Corporation. Ford GT is a trademark (disambiguation).
The Ford Motor Company commissioned the high-performance endurance racing Ford GT40. It developed from the “Ford GT” (for Grand Touring) project, an attempt to fight against Ferrari in renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans races in Europe from 1960 to 1965. Ford had success with the GT40, winning the competitions from 1966 until 1969.
The project got underway when Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, UK, started producing the GT40 Mk I, which was based on the Lola Mk6. The engineering team was relocated to Dearborn, Michigan in 1964 as a result of dismal race performances (Kar Kraft). Several American-built Ford V8 engines that had been adapted for racing powered the range.
The GT40 Mk II ended Ferrari’s winning streak at Le Mans in 1966, becoming the first American manufacturer to win a significant European race since Jimmy Murphy’s Duesenberg victory at the 1921 French Grand Prix. The Mk IV was the only vehicle wholly developed and produced in the United States to take home the overall Le Mans victory in 1967.
The Mk I, the oldest of the vehicles, won in 1968 and 1969, becoming the second chassis to do so. (Until the Ferrari 275P chassis 0816 was found to have won the 1964 race after winning the 1963 race in 250P format and with an 0814 chassis plate, this Ford/Shelby chassis, #P-1075, was thought to have been the first.) With the addition of bespoke alloy Gurney-Weslake cylinder heads, its American Ford V8 engine’s 4.7-liter displacement capacity (289 cubic inches) was increased to 4.9 liters (302 cubic inches).
The “40” stood for its minimum permitted height of 40 inches (1.02 m), measured at the windshield. The initial 12 “prototype” cars had serial numbers ranging from GT-101 to GT-112. The Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, and Mk IV were officially referred to as “GT40s” once “production” started and were given the numbers GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145. J1–J12 were the Mk IVs’ serial numbers.
Ford vs. Ferrari: Who Won in 1966?
The actual world Le Mans ’66 came to a thrilling conclusion with a historic result as all three Ford vehicles tied for first place when they passed the finish line.
What prevented Ferrari from selling to Ford?
Sadly, the narrative is not quite so straightforward. Henry Ford II tried to buy Ferrari in 1963, according to The New York Times. However, according to Forbes, the real action begins in 1962. Ford was attempting to recover from a decline in sales at the time. Ford Division general manager Lee Iacocca persuaded CEO Henry Ford II, the eldest son of Edsel Ford and the eldest grandson of Henry Ford, that the company should purchase a sports car in an effort to reverse the trend.
Ford was on the verge of acquiring Ferrari and all of its assets in 1963, making Ford’s ambitions of owning a sports car a reality. Forbes claims that Enzo Ferrari also anticipated the deal’s completion. Sadly, his excitement was short-lived when he learned that the deal had a provision that would give Ford control over the Ferrari racing team. Enzo rejected the agreement because he was unwilling to give up control of the Ferrari racing team.
Is Ford or Ferrari accurate?
At the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of racing’s most contentious incidents occurs, and as bizarre as the deliberate photo finish may seem, it actually did take place. Since Ken Miles was laps ahead of the pack, he purposefully slowed down so that all of the Ford cars would arrive at the finish line together. However, because of a mysterious rule, Christian Bale’s character actually places second rather than tying for first.
All of that actually did occur. While the film depicts a three-way photo finish, only two vehicles actually crossed the finish line together, with the third Ford vehicle following closely after. It is stated that the picture finish in the Ford v. Ferrari race was a PR trick, and that is exactly what it was. Leo Beebe, the man who orchestrated it and who plays the main antagonist of Ken Miles in the film, has always maintained that it was also done to prevent the cars from breaking down or crashing as the drivers tried to race each other to the finish line, as that would have completely denied Ford the victory.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what transpired near the finish line of the race because there are so many diverse and occasionally contradictory accounts.
Many of the facts depicted in Ford v. Ferrari and the personalities portrayed by Matt Damon and Christian Bale are true. Last but not least, the real Ken Miles, played by Christian Bale, perished in a collision barely two months after the 1966 race. Undoubtedly, it was a heartbreaking conclusion to a heroic tale.
Who won the inaugural Le Mans for Ford?
The victory in 1967 was unique. In Michigan, the Mark IV was created. Los Angeles served as the base for Carroll Shelby’s racing crew. A.J. Foyt was a native of Texas, and Dan Gurney resided in California. It all added up to an all-American triumph in the most renowned endurance race in Europe: an American vehicle, from an American team, driven by American drivers.
Shelby allegedly made Ford cry.
11 Henry Ford II Cried When He Saw The Speed And Power In the film, Shelby seizes Beebe and drives Henry Ford II away in the prototype to demonstrate the GT40’s capabilities. In the film, Henry Ford II sobs as a result.
A Chevrolet victory at Le Mans?
SEBRING, Florida –
Immediately following the start of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring by the Corvette C8.R, Chevrolet won the GT Le Mans Manufacturers championship in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This victory marks Chevrolet’s 13th Manufacturers Cup victory in IMSA GT competition since 2001 and ends the first season of the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
Two of the brand-new Corvette C8.Rs were raced by Corvette Racing in the 2020 WeatherTech Championship. At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca two weeks ago, Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor, and the No. 3 Corvette Racing squad successfully defended their GTLM Drivers and Team titles.
The Corvette C8.R’s debut season “shattered all of our expectations,” according to GM president Mark Reuss. “Without the strong collaboration between the crew and the Corvette engineering staff, the success of the Corvette Racing team would not be feasible. It has been wonderful to witness these two teams collaborate closely so they may share knowledge. I’m eager to see what the upcoming season holds.”
As a result of their concurrent development, the mid-engine C8.R and 2020 Corvette Stingray share more parts and technology than any previous-generation Corvette. Corvette Racing engineers and Corvette manufacturing workers collaborated extensively when the initial Corvette C8.R design and development work started more than five years ago. Track testing started in the past 18 months, with a focus on wind tunnel and simulation testing.
For the third time in five years, Chevrolet won all three of the full-season GTLM championships. This is just the second IMSA championship that a rookie Corvette race vehicle has captured. The American Le Mans Series championship was won by the Corvette C6.R in 2005 during its inaugural season.
Six victories were won by Corvette Racing prior to Sebring. At Daytona International Speedway in July, Garcia and Taylor earned the Corvette C8.R its first victory, marking Corvette Racing’s 100th IMSA triumph. The following race was won by Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in their No. 4 Corvette C8.R, with Garcia and Taylor coming in second. This was the C8.R’s first 1-2 result.
Furthermore, the Corvette C8.R won seven pole positions and set the quickest GTLM racing lap at five different competitions.
How did the Ford GT40 become so quick?
The GT40’s revolutionary design played a significant role in its popularity. The car had a significant edge over its rivals due to being significantly lower and more aerodynamic than anything else on the course. It was also one of the fastest cars of its era thanks to a lightweight aluminum chassis.
A new age of racing was ushered in by the GT40’s stunning look. It paved the path for other enduring American automobiles like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette.
Additionally composed of carbon fiber, the body has been engineered to produce little lift while still being extremely aerodynamically efficient. The GT40 actually has a lower drag coefficient than other modern supercars.
The chassis is the next component and is fully constructed of carbon fiber. This maintains the GT40 highly sturdy and rigid while while keeping it light (it weighs about 2,300 pounds).
How many horsepower was the Ford GT40 in 1966?
Tech Specs 4736 cc (289 cubic inches), 390 horsepower at 7000 rpm, eight-cylinder 90deg vee pushrod engine, four twin-choke Weber carburetors, wet sump lubrication.
Ford produced a 427 Cobra Jet, right?
When a new chassis was needed, the Mark III was created. The new vehicle was developed in Detroit in collaboration with Ford. A new chassis was constructed using primary chassis tubes that were 101.6 mm (4 in) in diameter (up from 76.2 mm (3 in)) and coil spring suspension all around (an especially significant change up front, where the previously-used transverse leaf spring had done double duty as the top link). The radiator opening was bigger, and the new automobile also had wide fenders. Its “side oiler” Ford 7.0 L (427 cu in) FE engine produced 317 kW (425 horsepower; 431 PS) at 6000 revolutions per minute and 651 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque at 3700 revolutions per minute, giving the ordinary model a top speed of 264 km/h (164 mph). The semi-competition (S/C) model’s more potent 362 kW (485 horsepower; 492 PS) tune has a top speed of 298 km/h (185 mph).
Two Cobra Mark III prototypes were sent to the US in October 1964, and Cobra Mark III manufacturing started on 1 January 1965. Unpainted rolling chassis of the cars were shipped to the US, where Shelby’s shop finished them.
Unfortunately, the MK III did not receive homologation in time for the 1965 racing season, therefore the Shelby team did not field it. Out of the 100 intended automobiles, only 56 were made. 31 unsold competition vehicles were detuned and given windscreens so they could be used on the streets. One of the most expensive Cobra variations, known as S/C for semi-competition, an original example can today sell for US$1.5 million.
Ford’s 7-litre (428 cu in), a long stroke, smaller bore, less expensive engine made for road use rather than racing, was installed in some Cobra 427s. Due to the financial failure of the AC Cobra, Ford and Carroll Shelby stopped importing vehicles from England in 1967.