After Ford’s attempt to buy Ferrari had been snubbed a few years earlier, Ford set out to conquer Le Mans at Ferrari’s expense, which they did in comprehensive fashion. The Ford GT scored a 1-2-3 finish in 1966, and took victories again in 1967, 1968 and 1969. MORE 1966-podium Ford GT40 goes to auction. But there’s a sad story behind that amazing win, one which highlights the tension that can arise from team orders, and the differences between a race driver’s goals and those of the factory. Ken Miles, a racer who at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hour had already won the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The famous 1-2-3 finale of Ford’s made 1966 a jaw-dropping year, and even if you ignore the controversy surrounding the photo op that essentially gave McLaren and Amon the win over Miles and Hulme, there’s no doubt that Ford earned the first three positions. MotorTrend was there to witness Ford's epic win over Ferrari. Check out our first-hand account of the legendary 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Writer David Phipps of Competition Press & Autoweek likened the Ford effort at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans to a “steamroller at work.” He also noted the “confusion at the finish when the . The 1966 race at Le Mans was 54 years ago, and Leo retired from Ford in 1972, 48 years ago. Even the youngest of Beebe's coworkers at Ford would have to be at least in their late seventies or older. I encourage anyone with knowledge of Beebe or HFII at the time to come forward. P/1015 would help put all that straight. Although it competed only four times and at just two tracks, the car scored a pair of extraordinarily significant results for Ford in 1966, winning at Daytona (Ken Miles/Lloyd Ruby) and finishing a legendary and contentious second at Le Mans (Ken Miles/Denis Hulme). Five Mk. The 1966 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most important races in Ford’s history. The Ford GT40 finally reached the success that was expected from it, and Ford trampled Ferrari In the process the all-American combination averaged over 135mph and smashed the Le Mans distance record – covering 28 laps more than the 1966 victors and 40 more than the 1965-winning Ferrari – to justify Ford’s multi-million dollar programme in front of over 300,000 spectators. The crushing pace was underlined by the fact that just 16 How Much Is A Ford GT. The 1966 Ford GT cost around $10-12 million. The Ford GT40 MK2 used by Ken Miles in 1966 24 hours Le Mans is about $1.87. The 1965 GT40 is approximately $16,250; the Ford GT supercar is still the most expensive, costing about $400,000.

did ford win le mans in 1966