The movie Ford vs. Ferrari took us to a world that we’ve only heard of and told some of the story of Carroll Shelby and his legacy with Ford.
The legendary man was born at the right time to be larger than life and try several different careers that would eventually take him into the auto racing world. Whether it was his own cars, the cars of Ford, or the ones he helped Chrysler create, Carroll was instrumental in creating vehicles in America that could take on the European competition on the largest stage in automobile racing.
The Man, the Myth, and the Legend
Who would turn to a chicken farmer to be the man to develop the car that would challenge Ferrari at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race? Well, Ford did just that, but Carroll Shelby was much more than just a chicken farmer. Before he turned to the quiet life of feed and flock, he was a WWII flight instructor. While running his farm, he did develop cars that became legendary as they won many local and regional races during the time before he came to Ford. He became known as the creator of some of the fastest cars we’ve seen in the second half of the 20th century.
Boredom Set in Easily, which is Where Racing Came In
The life of a chicken farmer isn’t one that would keep the interests of a man that possessed the talents of Carroll Shelby. Before every meeting with Ford and prior to developing his own cars, Shelby raced cars and won. He was working as a farmer and joined car races in the early part of the 1950s. He won so many races in the American Southwest that he was recruited by and began driving for Aston Martin. This is where the legend begins as he claimed victory at Le Mans for this team.
Quickly Through the Ups and Downs
As fast as Carroll Shelby found success, he also found trouble. Not long after claiming victory at Le Mans, he was diagnosed with heart troubles that forced him to quit competitive racing. This led him to build fast cars, and in 1962, he founded Shelby American, which was an independent sports car brand. The cars he built were made from English AC coupes that were fitted with powerful Ford engines, creating the Shelby Cobra.
The Ford Partnership Begins
Ford and Carroll Shelby combined together by 1965, not long after he began his own company, and Shelby began working on the most legendary racing car in the Ford lineup. This new racer, the GT40, would become a car that we still talk about today and was a centerpiece for the movie that showed how Ford took on Ferrari at a race the Italian brand had dominated for a long time. This amazing car was being developed with one goal in mind, and only the partnership that Shelby brought would be able to accomplish.
Ken Miles Joins the Team
The movie doesn’t do the memory of Ken Miles justice, but it does offer a bit of drama and conflict, which always helps in a movie. Ken Miles was a British race driver who was one of the participants of the 1944 D-Day landing for the British army. He was an apprentice at an engine manufacturer prior to his time in the service and was known as one of the best drivers in the country.
The addition of Ken Miles to the Carroll Shelby and Ford team was far more than just racing cars, but also for testing and engineering them. This was shown throughout the movie, giving us a look at what Miles contributed to the project. His racing skills were amazing, and he won the 1966 Daytona 24 Hours race, which was featured in the film, but he also won many other races in theGT40. As portrayed, he did allow for the photo finish to be completed, which unfortunately cost him the win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. While the result wasn’t what it should have been, it’s easy to see how Ken Miles was one of the most important factors in creating this amazing car and bringing Ford the win.
A Partnership that Almost Didn’t Happen
It was a few years before Ford would ever bring Carroll Shelby into the fold to help build the GT40. At the time, Ferrari was having serious financial difficulties, and Ford was interested in buying the racing brand in its entirety. Enzo Ferrari wanted to keep the racing division, but that was one of the main pieces Ford desired. Once the deal was off, Henry Ford II decided to have his revenge and vowed to spend the money needed to take down Ferrari at Le Mans.
The Ford Advanced Vehicles Ltd. Division created a car that was the predecessor to the GT40 and failed to win at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Because of this failure, The Ford team chose to bring Shelby into the fold and give him the reigns of the project to build the car that would eventually win the iconic race.
More than Just a Win
Not only did Shelby and Miles engineer the car that would win the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966, but the car was also good enough to finish 1-2-3 for the Ford brand. This is what brought on the scene of the photo finish that did cost Miles the trophy. Even though another driver won the race, there was no denying the contribution and impact this event made on the racing world.
Shelby After Ford
Shelby didn’t find much work in the racing world in the 1970s and began to put his energy into other areas of the world. He did collaborate with Chrysler for a little while but spent more time going on expeditions, developing land, and making chili. He spent much of his final years raising money for children in need of heart surgery after his heart transplant in 1990. Today, we celebrate his life with the Ford Mustang Shelby models that are offered at the top of the Mustang lineup.
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