Ford GT40: The Race Car That Destroyed Ferrari at Le Mans

In 1963, Henry Ford the Second tried to buy Ferrari. The deal collapsed at the last moment when Enzo Ferrari insulted Ford and walked away. That rejection sparked one of the greatest rivalries in motorsport history. Ford decided to beat Ferrari where it hurt most: at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's most prestigious endurance race.
Ford invested over seven million dollars, equivalent to sixty million today, to build a race car from scratch. They hired the best engineers from Britain, developed revolutionary mid-engine technology, and created the GT40. The name came from its height: forty inches tall, making it one of the lowest race cars ever built.
The first attempts were disasters. In 1964 and 1965, every Ford GT40 broke down at Le Mans. Gearbox failures, suspension problems, and reliability issues plagued the program. Ferrari kept winning. Critics said American engineering could never match Italian racing pedigree.
But Ford refused to quit. They brought in Carroll Shelby, the legendary driver and engineer who understood endurance racing better than anyone. Shelby rebuilt the program with one focus: reliability. He found brilliant drivers like Ken Miles, Bruce McLaren, and Denny Hulme. They tested for thousands of miles, breaking cars intentionally to find every weakness.
In 1966, everything changed. Ford brought eight GT40s to Le Mans and qualified one, two, three. The race became a masterclass in American engineering. While Ferrari cars broke down one by one, the GT40s ran flawlessly for twenty-four hours. Ford finished one, two, three in a historic photo finish that humiliated Ferrari on the world stage.
The victory came with tragedy. Ken Miles, who drove most of the winning race, was denied first place due to a technicality in the rules. Two months later, he died testing the next generation GT40 at two hundred miles per hour. His sacrifice made Ford's dominance possible.
Ford won Le Mans four consecutive years: 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969. Total domination. Ferrari never recovered their supremacy in that era. The GT40 proved that with determination and resources, you can beat anyone, even legends.
Today, original GT40s sell for ten to twenty million dollars. Only one hundred five were built. Every modern Ford GT, from the 2005 model to the 2017 supercar, traces its DNA back to this racing icon. The GT40 changed American motorsport forever and inspired generations of performance vehicles.
This is the story of pride, revenge, and engineering excellence. The story of how Ford humiliated Ferrari and won the greatest race in the world. Watch as we drive this legendary car through beautiful landscapes and explore every detail of its incredible history.
If you love classic racing stories, American muscle, and automotive history, this video reveals everything about the car that changed motorsport forever.
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