The story of Ken Miles, Carroll Shelby and Ford's GT40 beating Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966 was showcased to the world via the Oscar-winning Ford v Ferrari movie starring Christian Bale as Miles and Matt Damon as Shelby.
Ford had finally, and very publicly, beaten Ferrari. After more than 3,000 miles averaging speeds of around 130 miles-per-hour, Ford took all 1966 podium honors at Le Mans. Having slowed to accommodate the Ford finish decision, the Miles team finished slightly behind the McLaren team.
Gurney's victory marked the beginning of the famous Cobra-Ferrari Wars that culminated when Shelby American defeated Ferrari to win the championship in 1965, the first and only time for an American team.
As the film sadly depicts, just a few months after Ford defeated Ferrari in the 1966 Le Mans, Ken Miles was killed while testing out a new Ford vehicle (the J-car) at California's Riverside International Raceway.
The real life Le Mans '66 ended with a historic finish: Ford trounced the frontrunner Ferrari as all three Ford cars crossed the finish line in a dead heat. But there's some additional drama in the “Ford v Ferrari” portrayal.
In 1959, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the second American to do so. It was during that race that Shelby noted the performance of an English roadster built by AC Cars called the Ace, which three years later became the basis for the Cobra.
Shelby, who'd won Le Mans as a driver in 1959, turned things around. His team reworked the GT40 and, with Ford engineers, replaced its 289-cubic-inch engine with a big 427. Ford swept the Le Mans podium in 1966 by taking first, second, and third places.
Shelby and Miles were both headstrong, incredibly intense and brilliant guys. There's no doubt that they butted heads on a very regular basis, and the film certainly alludes to that. But there is no evidence they ever had a physical altercation. Turn 5: Ford executives drank in Pit Row after winning Le Mans in 1966.
Carroll Shelby the Driver. The pinnacle of Shelby's driving career came in 1959 when he won the crown jewel of international sports cars racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving an Aston Martin. A heart condition caused Shelby to retire from racing in 1960.
Ford GT Mark II automobiles came to finish 1-2-3 at LeMans is a story that began more than three years ago. It chronicles the dedicated efforts of many men who contributed to a project that drew on most of the resources of the Ford Motor Company and a number of small specialized firms. finish is an accomplishment.
Say “427” in the right crowd, and everyone collectively says “Cobra.” It's a Shelby fan's version of Marco Polo. The Mark III was the product of Ford, AC, and Shelby working together to create a car that fit the design brief from Shelby and debuted in 1965.
On 21 June 1959, Aston Martin claimed what is still to this day its only victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, thanks to Anglo-American duo Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby. The latter enjoyed three successful careers at the legendary race: a driver, constructor and team owner.
Carroll Shelby never took Henry Ford II for a joyride in a GT40. As much as we wish this was true, it just never happened. In the film, Carrol Shelby takes Henry Ford II for a joyride in his creation, which results in the industry giant bursting into a mixture of sobbing and laughter.
Does Ford Own Shelby? high-performance manufacturer. Shelby American has remained an independent company throughout its existence. Although Shelby is perhaps best known for its modified Mustang sports cars, the relationship with Ford never went beyond a strong partnership between the two companies.
The primary owner of Ferrari is the investing public, while Piero Ferrari — Enzo's second son — also holds a significant ownership stake, with Exor N.V. rounding out ownership of the company. Exor N.V. is a company controlled by descendants of one of Fiat's original founders, Giovanni Agnelli.
Many details in the Ford vs. Ferrari movie are true and give us a glimpse into the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari back then. Details in the movie include Ford's determination to win the 1966 Le Mans after half a decade of Ferrari dominance.
The real life Le Mans '66 ended with a historic finish: Ford trounced the frontrunner Ferrari as all three Ford cars crossed the finish line in a dead heat. But there's some additional drama in the “Ford v Ferrari” portrayal.
Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified during the late 1960s and early 2000s. He established Shelby American in 1962 to manufacture and market performance vehicles. His autobiography, The Carroll Shelby Story, was published in 1967.
At Le Mans and in the middle of the race, Carroll steals all of the Ferrari team's stopwatches; he also drops a lug nut near their pit area, a subterfuge he hopes will prompt the panicked team to tell a car to pit in order to check the wheels. (The ploy, played for humor, doesn't yield Shelby's desired result.)
In 1963, Ford was in negotiations with Ferrari to acquire the company. Right as they were about to close the deal, Enzo Ferrari backed out because he didn't want to relinquish control over his racing team. Enzo then insulted the company and turned around and sold major stock of Ferrari to Fiat.
As for Shelby's relationship with Miles, Shelby could be a sentimentalist about his friend and colleague, but as difficult as Miles really could be, their friendship does not seem to have included a fight in which Miles threw a wrench at Shelby, leading to Shelby having that wrench framed.
British-born Ken Miles was a gifted race car engineer and driver. Through his work for Carroll Shelby, Miles got involved in Ford's GT racing program. Miles won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1966, and he placed second at Le Mans. Miles died in a crash while testing Ford's J-Car later that year.
Ford v Ferrari (titled Le Mans '66 in some European countries) is a 2019 American biographical sports drama film directed by James Mangold and written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller.
