The result of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans is so unbelievable that it seems manufactured. Well, in a way, it is!

Ambition can be tricky. When it's beneficial, it can help to overreach. But squeezing it too hard can result in bitterness. At least, in this instance, those involved had a story to tell. If you had caught Ford Vs Ferrari, you might have an inkling of what's about to unfold.

If You Can't Buy 'Em, Beat 'Em

Deciding to return to motorsports in 1962, Ford, set their eyes on Le Mans. And to do so, they wanted to buy out Ferrari. Enzo, who had built quite a reputation, sniggered at the idea. What did Henry Ford II do? He simply said, “Let's beat Ferrari.”

If It Works In Daytona, It Might Work In Le Mans

Before Le Mans 1966, they participated in that year's Daytona 24-Hour Continental and hit the ground running. Four GT40s finished in the top five! GT stood for Grand Touring, and 40 was the overall height of the car in inches.

Encouraged by the good showing, Ford decided to go in with eight cars to their target race. They lugged in seven spare cars and a tractor-trailer of spare parts, which in hindsight proved to be a good strategy for the first-timers. Five of the cars had to be retired eventually due to mechanical niggles, but the rest three practically crowded the leaderboard positions almost all throughout.

A Hmmm Near The Endgame

With the end tape in sight, it was conceived by the Ford PR manager to orchestrate a 1-2-3 podium finish. The favourable positions of the lead cars certainly provided the opportunity. Besides a cute photo op, such a result would do wonders for the car brand and the model.

What's That Now?

To align all the GT40s, the breakaway car, in fact, the lead, steered by Ken Miles, had to ease the pace. Initially diffident, he ultimately gave in allowing his colleagues to catch up. And all the GT40s tipped over the line in unison.

Bring Out The Rule Book

To the spectators and to the Ford contingent, the victory was as historic as it was a fairy tale. But, to Miles, the tearaway rider, and the rightful winner, it left a bitter aftertaste.

Though the rookies might have read the race, they had failed to comprehend a key rule. The winning car is the one which travels the farthest on the track. By that count, Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, who had started 8 meters behind Miles /Deny Hume leapfrogged over the later while Ronnie Buckum and Dick Hutcherson came in third.