Ken Miles

Lore & Background

Miles was born on 1 November 1918 in Sutton Coldfield, then in Warwickshire, now in the city of Birmingham. He was the son of Eric Miles and Clarice Jarvis. After a failed attempt to run away to the United States, Miles left school at the age of 15 to work as an apprentice at Wolseley Motors. He raced motorcycles before joining the British Army during World War II. After the war, he raced Bugattis, Alfa Romeos, and Alvises with the Vintage Sports Car Club. In 1952, Miles moved from England to the U.S. and settled in Los Angeles, California. He became the chief test driver of Shelby-American in 1963. In 1965, Miles shared a Ford GT40 with Bruce McLaren at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but retired with gearbox trouble. The next year, Miles won the 24 Hours of Daytona, sharing a Ford GT40 with Lloyd Ruby, and then won the 12 Hours of Sebring. Several months later, sharing the drive with Denny Hulme, Miles was leading the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans in the #1 car, but Ford executives, desiring a publicity photo of three of Ford's cars crossing the finish line together, instructed Miles to slow down. On the final lap, the next car from Ford driven by Bruce McLaren/Chris Amon and the third-place car from Ford drew up, and they cruised to the line together. Miles's #1 car and McLaren's #2 car crossed the finish line almost at the same time, with photos and official track data showing McLaren's #2 as 6 metres ahead when crossing the line. Additionally, McLaren's #2 started just over 14 metres behind Miles's car and had therefore covered more distance during the race; the official rules regarding cars finishing together indicate that starting position should be taken into account, so McLaren was declared the winner. Miles died on 17 August 1966 while testing the Ford J-car at Riverside International Raceway, when the car suddenly flipped and caught fire, breaking into pieces and ejecting Miles, killing him instantly.

In Their Own Story

The sun beats down on the Mulsanne Straight as the Mk IV screams toward the pits. Miles grips the wheel, sweat stinging his eyes, feeling the vibration of the engine through the chassis. He knows he's ahead, but the radio crackles with orders from headquarters that feel distant from the asphalt beneath him. The crowd roars, unaware of the drama unfolding in the corporate boardrooms miles away.

Reader's Guide

Miles was a significant member of the Shelby/Cobra race team in the early 1960s. He played a major role in the development and success of the racing versions of the Shelby Cobra 289 in SCCA, USRRC, and FIA sports car racing between 1962 and 1965, as well as the Daytona Coupe and 427 versions of the Cobra and the Ford GT (GT40). He had a 'reputation for courtesy on the track' and was sometimes called the 'Stirling Moss of the West Coast'. Miles described himself as a mechanic, saying driving was a hobby and relaxation for him.

Did You Know?

• Miles was affectionately known by his American racing crew as 'Teddy Teabag' (for his tea drinking) or 'Sidebite' (as he talked out of the side of his mouth).
• Miles was disqualified from a 1955 race at Palm Springs because his fenders were too wide, allowing Cy Yedor and James Dean to be bumped up to first and second.
• Miles served as a tank commander during World War II, an experience said to have fuelled a new love for high-performance engineering.
• Miles is interred at the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.