Skip to content When Henry Ford II set out to defeat Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford’s initial attempts in 1964 and 1965 were disastrous. The early GT40 prototypes were unstable, aerodynamically flawed, and dangerous at high speeds.
Ford handed the program over to Carroll Shelby, and Ken Miles immediately went to work. Miles practically lived inside the GT40. He figured out the crucial aerodynamic issues, reworked the suspension, and helped develop the massive 7.0-liter (427 ci) V8 engine that turned the GT40 from an unstable prototype into a reliable, world-conquering machine.
3. The Historic 1966 Season and the Le Mans Heartbreak
