The apple of Henry Ford II’s eye, or so was the original intention. Potential partners at the onset of Ford Total Performance, Enzo and Ford would go down in the history books as brawling enemies by the end of the chapter. Lee laccoca originated a deal for Ford to purchase Ferrari. That fell through after an $8M difference of opinion and the rest is, as they say, history. Ford would lean on the help of Carroll Shelby and others to create a Ferrari-eating, Le Mans-winning beast of a car.

Enzo got into the automotive industry by working as a test driver for C.M.N. (Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali), a Milan-based car manufacturer which redesigned used truck bodies into small passenger cars. He was then commissioned to race one of their car’s during his competitive debut in the 1919 Parma-Poggio di Berceto hillclimb race, where he finished fourth in the three-litre category at the wheel of a 2.3-litre 4-cylinder C.M.N. 15/20. In 1924, however, success would be Enzo’s as he won the Coppa Acerbo at Pescara. Alfa Romeo recognized this offering him a chance to race. Enzo rejected the opportunity after Antonio Ascari’s death and focused on building up a team of 40 Alfa drivers. He kept racing, however, until 1932 when he left Alfa Romeo to found Scuderia Ferrari. In the ‘50s, to pay for his racing passion, Enzo decided to begin selling sports cars.

By the end of the ‘60s, increasing financial difficulties from racing and new safety and clean air emissions requirements for streetcars led Ferrari to begin looking for a business partner. This is when Henry Ford II comes into play. However, since that deal didn’t go through, FIAT was onboard to buy 50% of company with Enzo having 100% autonomy in the racing sector. Something Ford was not willing to offer.

After Enzo’s death in 1988, the Scuderia Ferrari team has had continued success in motorsports with World Drivers' Championship in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 with Michael Schumacher and in 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen. His drivers won more than 4,000 victories and the Ferrari team took home 13 world titles, including 9 in Formula 1 since 1952.

Lee Iaccoca is oftentimes credited with being on the short list of names associated with the development of the original GT40 project. In addition, Lee is known for spearheading the development of the Ford Mustang and Pinto cars. Go with us back to 1963. Ford came very close to purchasing a majority share in Ferrari, a deal originated by Lee. While price was one obstacle (Ferrari wanted $18 million, but after performing its due diligence Ford would only offer $10 million), the stumbling block became racing activity. Enzo was willing to hand over the manufacturing of street cars to Ford, but when it came to racing, Ferrari wanted complete autonomy.

Don Frey was a key engineer for Ford in the development of the Mustang and later head of Ford Division. He campaigned for a roadworthy GT40 to support the racing program and to serve as a halo car for the Ford brand. Prior, Don Frey was tasked with closing the deal between the two companies. In what was expected to be the final meeting before an agreement was reached, Enzo Ferrari raised the only question that truly mattered to him. “If I wish to enter cars at Indianapolis and you do not wish to enter cars at Indianapolis,” Enzo reportedly asked, “Do we go or do we not go?” “You do not go,” Frey replied, to which Ferrari countered, “It was nice to know you.” There would be no deal, despite later efforts from Ferrari to reopen negotiations.

Wyer is most known for Le Mans victories for Aston Martin in 1959, the Gulf team Ford GT40s in ‘68 and ‘69 and of the Gulf-Mirage in 1975. That’s right, those light blue and orange liveried cars are accredited to Wyer and his longtime sponsor Gulf Oil.

Wyer got into the automotive industry by apprenticing at Sunbeam Motor Company. He then joined Solex Carburetors. He resigned from there in 1945 to run Monaco Motors for his friend Dudley Folland. Soon after, his introduction to sportscar racing would seal his destiny. In 1950, David Brown invited Wyer to form and run the Aston Martin team. Brown desperately wanted to win at Le Mans, just like Ford. Rival, Jaguar Cars, won Le Mans five times in the ‘50s while Aston Martin garnered three second-place finishes. Finally, by 1959, the company was rewarded with a 1-2 victory at the Sarthe, headed by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby. Wyer, by now, was the general manager of Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, while Reg Parnell as tasked with the day-to-day of the racing aspirations.

Aston Martin went on to win the World Sports-Car Championship that year, but decided to take a break and venture into the world of F1, yet did so unsuccessfully. This is around the time Ford made success at Le Mans a priority. In 1963, Ford invited Wyer to the team’s management at Slough. Ford fired him from his job as team manager in ‘65, but Wyer kept racing GT40s under his own name. Wyer teamed with John Willment to form JW Automotive and got their GT40 on the podium in ‘68 and ‘69 with the help of Gulf Oil as the main sponsor.

Often referred to as the “Godfather of the GT40”, Roy’s accomplishments led to Ford’s domination of international sportscar racing in the mid-late-1960s. Ford’s GT40, Mark IIs and Mark IV, were designed, engineered and developed under Roy Lunn’s direction at Ford’s Skunk Works, Kar-Kraft. Lunn was manager of the Advanced Concepts Group.

Lunn entered the automotive industry in 1946 when AC Cars hired him as a designer. After just a year he moved to Aston Martin as the assistant chief designer for the DB2 program. He joined Jowett in 1949 as chief designer and was involved in a variety of projects. Lunn also participated in races. He was the co-driver for Marcel Becquart when they won the 1952 RAC International Rally.

He moved to the U.S. in ‘58 and became the manager for the Ford Advanced Vehicle Center. In ‘62, Lunn became a U.S. citizen and his team of engineers developed the two-seat Ford Mustang I prototype in just 100 days. At this time is when he was tasked with creating and developing a GT car with Ray Geddes and Don Frey. In ‘63 is when the work began on the new racecar loosely based on the Lola GT. By April 1964, it was presented to the press for the first time.

In a town of 200 people called Leesburg, Texas, Carroll Shelby was born on January 11, 1923. Carroll graduated from a high school in Dallas, Texas where the family had moved. World War II was going on so he joined the Army Air Corp. In the Corp, he served as a flight instructor. He left the service as a Second Lieutenant. Shelby started racing in 1952 driving an MC TC in 1965.

Folks from Ford reached out to Shelby after his success privateering. They were looking to beat the Italians and after his success at Le mans in his own Cobras, seemed like a perfect fit. With the GT40, it wasn’t so much about innovative technology, but being crafty. Lots of power in a small shell/lightweight shell. Shelby replaced the 289ci GT40 with the same powerful, big block 427ci V8 that powered his Cobras. The lower revving, larger displacement V8s were more able to take the stress of long endurance races than the higher-revving, small displacement engines used by Ferrari.

Shelby not only helped Ford end Ferrari’s racing dominance, he exacted sweet revenge for Enzo’s snub and garnered Ford a remarkable four-year winning streak from ‘66 to ‘69.

“To do something well is so worthwhile that to die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy. It would be a waste of life to do nothing with one’s ability, for I feel that life is measured in achievement, not in years alone.” McLaren made such a name for himself, not just through his driving, but managing skills, that his name lives on with the McLaren team - one of the most successful in F1 championship history. Oh yea, and Bruce was the guy driving the No. 2 GT40 that won the ‘66 Le Mans for that highly debated finish.

Bruce was born in Auckland, New Zealand. As a nine-year-old, he contracted Perthes disease which left his left leg shorter than the right. Bruce was in the right environment to hone in his natural skills. His father gave up motorcycle racing to race cars once Bruce was born. Les, his father, also owned a service station and workshop where Bruce would hang out during his younger years developing his passion for cars and driving.

Bruce would find his way into an F2 car racing against the best Europe had to offer. At the 1958 German Grand Prix he would shock onlookers placing 1st in F2 and fifth overall (F2 cars ran with F1 cars). McLaren had success in ‘59 and early ‘60s in F1, but would leave Cooper in ‘65 and announce his own GP racing team with co-driver Chris Amon. This catches us up to the ‘66 Le Mans when Ford decided that the Bruce McLaren/Chris Amon and Ken Miles/Denis Hulme cars should cross the finish line together, for two reasons: it would be the first time ever that a pair of cars would take the overall victory at Le Mans, which would drive home the point that the car, a Ford GT, and not a driver, had won the race. Secondly, it would make for a great publicity photo.

Ken Miles was leading and lifted off the gas allowing McLaren in the No. 2 car to get ahead as they crossed the finish line. It was ruled that McLaren’s GT40 would be crowned with the win because his car traveled a greater distance, having started several positions behind Miles’ GT40. This was a huge disappointment to Miles, who had helped Ford develop the car and was hoping to be rewarded with the 1966 triple crown (wins at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans).

When only 12 years old, Chris saw Stirling Moss win the 1956 NZ International Grand Prix (NZIGP) at Ardmore, near Auckland, NZ, driving his own 1954 Maserati 250F chassis 2508. Chris was instantly hooked on motor racing and thereafter barely missed a race meeting at Ohakea air force base, the new Levin track, or Ardmore.

At 16 years of age, Chris entered his first race with an A40 Special race car, but due to engine failure, didn't actually make the start of the race. At 17-years-old, Chris entered his first race at Levin on April 15, 1961. Chris drove his little 1956 Cooper T41 Climax 1490cc gaining 4th place in his first race and 2nd place in his second race. In January 1962, aged 18, he entered his own 1954 Maserati 250F, chassis 2509, in the NZIGP at Ardmore and had a firsthand view of Stirling Moss, the maestro, winning the NZIGP once again.

The driving talent shown by Chris in 1962 in his venerable Maserati 250F led to an early offer to drive in international Formula One and Chris flew off to the UK in 1963. With so much natural talent, Chris should have been a Formula One World Champion – but bad luck stood in his way too often.

Of all the F1 World Championship races he entered from 1963 until 1976, he surprisingly was never to win, although he came agonisingly close on so many occasions. He did win many other notable races including the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hour race driving the Ford GT40, partnered by Bruce McLaren, and the 1967 Daytona 24 Hour race driving a Ferrari 330 P4 partnered by Lorenzo Bandini.

Chris won both the 1968 and 1969 NZIGPs. He was runner up in 1968 and Tasman Champion in 1969 driving his ‘works’ Tasman Ferrari race cars. Like many other drivers of his era, he was a highly versatile driver and was involved in many different international race classes including F1, F2, endurance, Can-Am and F5000.

Check out the video as Chris (present day) discusses the debated finish, why the car was painted black and his favorite moment of the race.

Ken Miles was a British racing driver that came into fame as a race car driver and engineer in the U.S. with American teams on the international scene. Ken moved from England to Los Angeles, California to pursue his racing career, and in1953, won 14 straight victories in SCCA racing. Because of his great skill and talent as both a driver and mechanic/engineer, Miles was a key member of the Shelby/Cobra race team in the early ‘60s. The American racing crew would refer to Ken as “Teddy Teabag” for his tea drinking and even “Sidebite” for talking out of the side of his mouth.

That catches us up to Ken piloting a Mk. II. In 1966 he won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Then, of course, was Le Mans. Miles was leading the race and lifted off the gas allowing McLaren in the No. 2 car to get ahead as they crossed the finish line due to Ford’s attempt at a unique publicity stunt of two cars crossing the finish line at the same time. In theory, the cars would have crossed the finish line at the same time resulting in the first pair of cars taking the overall victory, further portraying that the Ford cars, not the drivers, were the real winners.

However, it was ruled that McLaren’s GT40 would be crowned with the win because his car traveled a greater distance, having started several positions behind Miles’ GT40. This was a huge disappointment to Miles, who had helped Ford develop the car and was hoping to be rewarded with the 1966 triple crown (wins at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans).

Ken Miles was a brilliant driver and car developer who was hired by Caroll Shelby as a test driver in the early 1960s. Miles helped Shelby develop the Cobra, Mustang GT350 as well as the GT40. Unfortunately, Ken Miles was killed on August 17, 1966 at Riverside International Raceway while testing the new Ford J-car, an intended replacement for the Mk. II.

Denny Hulme was the kiwi splitting driving duties with Ken Miles in one of the Shelby-American, Inc. Ford GT40 Mk IIs. As you may know by now, both cars were on the lead lap, running first and second, when Ford decided upon their failed publicity stunt. Hulme’s teammate Ken Miles was leading the race and lifted off the gas allowing McLaren in the No. 2 car to get ahead as they crossed the finish line due to Ford’s attempt at a unique publicity stunt of two cars crossing the finish line at the same time. In theory, the cars would have crossed the finish line at the same time resulting in the first pair of cars taking the overall victory, further portraying that the Ford cars, not the drivers, were the real winners.

Denny Hulme was a very diversified and talented driver having won the 1967 Formula One World Drivers’ Championship with eight more victories in F1 from ‘65 to ‘74. Following his Formula One tenure with Brabham, Hulme raced for McLaren in multiple formats—Formula One, Can-Am, and at the Indianapolis 500. Hulme retired from Formula One at the end of the 1974 season but continued to race Australian Touring Cars.

During his career, Hulme drove the most powerful cars of his era. He raced in F1, F2, Indycars, Saloon/Touring Cars, CanAm and endurance races, all during the same season. After retiring from F1, he even drove in truck races.

Beebe would become head of Ford’s racing programs, growing up a jock and not a driver. Beebe was a graduate of Michigan in 1938 where he starred on the basketball team, and was captain by his second year. He also played baseball and won the Big 10 award for proficiency in athletics and scholastic achievement.

After graduation Beebe would become a high school sports coach and eventually serve in World War II. This is where the story really gets interesting. Beebe would meet Henry II and they would serve together in the Navy and form the kind of bond only men do when in uniform during war. Beebe was no mechanic, or even enthuisast of automobiles, but Henry II saw potential in him and would take him in to become his top troubleshooter. Beebe had never seen an auto race until he would be made chief executive in charge of all Ford racing - stock cars, Indy cars, sports cars … the works. Henry II needed a man in charge he could trust, something earned on the battlefield.

On January 27, 1965, Beebe announced that Shelby-American would be building and racing all of Ford’s competition sports cars. He would go on to say, “We are taking this move to consolidate the construction and racing of all our GT-type vehicles within the same specialist organization.”