1966 Ford GT40 Victory
Ford GT40's first Le Mans victory in 1966, ending Ferrari's dominance.
The 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 34th Grand Prix of Endurance, held on 18 and 19 June 1966. It was the seventh round of the 1966 World Sportscar Championship and marked the first overall win for the Ford GT40, as well as the first win for an American constructor in a major European race since Jimmy Murphy's Duesenberg victory at the 1921 French Grand Prix.
- Winning Team
- Ford GT40 Mk II
- Project Codename
- None (often misattributed; the GT40 program was not called 'The Cobra Project')
Lore & Background
Ford entered fifteen Mark II entries, eight of which were accepted by the ACO, plus five Mk.I in the Group 4 Sportscars 5.0 class. Six Mk.IIs were built and prepared by Holman & Moody, while Shelby ran three cars. The winning car was driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon. The race also saw the debut Le Mans start of Henri Pescarolo and Jacky Ickx.
In Their Own Story
The sun beat down on the Mulsanne Straight as the dust settled on the final hour of the race. Inside the cockpit of car number one, Bruce McLaren gripped the wheel, his eyes scanning the dashboard for any sign of trouble that had plagued the previous years. Beside him, Chris Amon navigated the traffic with surgical precision. They weren't just driving a car; they were carrying the weight of an entire American industrial complex. As the checkered flag waved, the roar of the crowd wasn't just for a winner, but for the end of an era.
Reader's Guide
The 1966 race introduced new FIA Appendix J regulations, redefining categories: GT cars became Group 3, Prototypes Group 6, Sports Cars Group 4, and Special Touring Cars Group 5. The ACO opened entries to Groups 3, 4, and 6. The Ford GT40 Mk.II used a 7-litre NASCAR engine rated at 485 hp due to a lowered rev limit. Ferrari's response was the 330 P3 with a 4-litre fuel-injected engine producing 420 bhp.
Did You Know?
- Henri Pescarolo and Jacky Ickx both made their Le Mans debut in 1966; Pescarolo later set the record for most starts, and Ickx's six victories stood until Tom Kristensen surpassed them in 2005.
- The Mini Marcos, based on a Mini Cooper 'S' chassis, was entered by Frenchman Hubert Giraud and became a crowd favorite despite its small size.
- Matra entered endurance racing for the first time in 1966 with a car using a 1.9-litre BRM V8 Formula 1 engine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the outcome of the 1966 Le Mans race?
Ford secured a historic one-two-three finish with their GT40 Mk II models, ending Ferrari's ten-year dominance at the circuit. This result marked the beginning of American engineering supremacy in endurance racing.
Who led the effort to build the winning cars?
Lee Iacocca and Henry Ford II directed the program after a partnership deal with Enzo Ferrari fell through. They aimed to use this victory as a statement of industrial capability against their Italian rivals.
Which car variant claimed the top spot on the podium?
The championship-winning machine was the Ford GT40 Mk II, piloted by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon. Its reliability and performance proved superior to the competition over the grueling twenty-four-hour duration.
Why do fans consider this event a watershed moment in history?
It represented a definitive shift in power from European manufacturers to American muscle within high-speed motorsport. The win was widely viewed as a successful retaliation for Ford's earlier rejection by Ferrari.
Was there an official codename used for this racing program?
No, the initiative did not have a secret name such as 'The Cobra Project,' which is often incorrectly cited in popular culture. It was officially referred to simply as the GT40 project by Ford Motor Company.
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