When Ford broke Ferrari’s stranglehold on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, no one would’ve expected it to have as large of a cultural impact as it did, especially 60 years on.
After years of trial and error, Ford – having enlisted Carroll Shelby’s assistance – finally got its first Le Mans win in 1966, and went two steps further by locking out the podium with a trio of its GT40 MkIIs.
This result, and the story around how Shelby and test driver/second-place finisher Ken Miles got to race in the endurance classic, was immortalised in the 2019 film ‘Ford v Ferrari’, which followed on from Ford’s return to the top step of the Le Mans podium in 2016, winning the GT Pro class with its new GT supercar.
Now, 60 years on from the Le Mans 1-2-3, the trio of cars which took the historic result are being reunited, both at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.
Tying in with this year’s Festival of Speed theme, ‘The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels’, GT40 chassis P/1046, P/1015, and P/1016 will each drive up the famed Goodwood Hill in early July, before heading to the Goodwood Motor Circuit in September for the revival.
“I am absolutely delighted that the historic 1-2-3 Ford GT40 Mk IIs will be reunited at Goodwood this year,” said Duke of Richmond CBE DL, Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, the owner of the Goodwood Estate.
“The legendary result of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans is immortalised in motorsport history, and it will be incredibly special to see these three cars run together once again.”
While Ford was able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the victory with its most recent Le Mans success, it’s not due to return to the famous event until next year, when it’ll race in the flagship Hypercar class, having its first crack at outright honours in more than half a century.
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