What Happened To Ken Miles' Ford GT40 From The 24 Hours Of Le Mans?
Ken Miles is one of the most important names in Ford's motorsports history. He piloted the Ford GT40 that he and Carroll Shelby engineered to second place in the 1966 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. That's an incredible feat by itself as the race is famously grueling, much less in a then brand-new car. However, to further cement Miles' fame, he beat Ferrari at its own game. Miles and the Ford GT40 are memorialized in the film "Ford v. Ferrari," where Miles is portrayed by Christian Bale. In addition to placing highly in Le Mans, Miles achieved first place in both the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona endurance races.
Unfortunately, Miles' life was tragically cut short by an accident while testing another Ford race car in 1966. The GT40 that Miles raced in Le Mans, however, is still intact and currently housed within the Shelby American Museum in Boulder, Colorado.
The GT40 lives on
The car Miles drove, specifically chassis number P/1015, was equipped with a NASCAR 427 cubic-inch V8 that was tweaked by Carroll Shelby. It produced a staggering 485 horsepower and had a top speed of around 210 mph. That's fast today and borderline otherworldly in 1966. According to Steve Volk, the Shelby American Museum's Executive Director, the GT40 is finished in Ford's Arcadian Blue, a color typically reserved for Mustangs. That was at the request of Henry Ford II.
After its races in 1966, it would race a few other times with different drivers in 1967. Despite the car's immense historical significance, it is still occasionally raced in Le Mans Classic events. While racing a piece of history would seem like taking the actual painting of the Mona Lisa out of the Louvre Museum in France and hanging it in your office, there are a few ways to better honor both the legacy of Ken Miles and the GT40 by burning rubber at the race track.