Celebrating Ford's 1966 triumph @ 60th anniversary of one the greatest Le Mans races in history
To mark the 60th anniversary of one the greatest Le Mans races in history, Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard will reunite the three Ford GT MkIIs from the iconic 1-2-3 finish of 1966. See the cars in action on the Hill in an extraordinary tribute to one of motorsport's most heated rivalries, Ford Vs Ferrari.
In 2026, Goodwood will play host to a rare reunion of huge historical significance when the three Ford GT MkIIs that locked out the podium at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours will come together for the first time in ten years, at both the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard and the Revival.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Ford’s remarkable triumph at the Circuit de la Sarthe, as the American company finally overcame Ferrari at the culmination of what had become a fierce and all-consuming rivalry. What better way to celebrate than to bring the three cars that achieved the feat together once again?
The cars, owned by the Miller Family Automobile Foundation and Rob Kaufman of RK Motors, have not run together for many years, so we’re gearing up for a couple of incredibly rare opportunities here at Goodwood.
Firstly, at the Festival of Speed, where all three of these cars will fire up their 7.0-litre V8 engines to indulge us with several runs up the famous Goodwood Hill as the headline act of this year’s theme of ‘The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels’.
Then again at the Revival, where we will see all three of these cars in action together on the Goodwood Motor Circuit, recreating that immortal moment when Ford’s three victors completed the Le Mans 24 Hours in close formation.
Anyone fortunate enough to attend either of those events is going to be present for a truly historic moment with very little precedent.
These are three unimaginably precious cars that very rarely leave US soil and have been seen together only a handful of times since they raced 60 years ago. There’s no telling how long we’ll have to wait to see them all together again, especially with their V8 engines roaring as they once did.
Having tried but failed to make a dent on the world’s greatest endurance race with its new GT sportscar in 1964 and ‘65, Ford continued to allocate an essentially limitless budget to develop the MkII into a car that could finally bring victory at Le Mans.
With their huge 7.0-litre V8s running smoothly and reliably, Ford had amassed an astonishing fleet of eight MkIIs backed up by three original 4.7-litre MkIs to unleash a wave of speed and power that proved unstoppable over the course of 24 hours.
Their dominance throughout the race was uncontested. Ferrari’s struggles for reliability opened the door for Ford to lock out the top six places at the halfway stage, and the Americans eventually ended the race with three cars on the podium for what was one of the most famous results in motorsport history.
The image of three Ford GT40s crossing the Le Mans finish line together is iconic, a monumental moment in motorsport history that remains one of the most significant results of all time.
We’re already looking forward to the opportunity to recreate that photo in front of the Goodwood pits during what we’re certain is going to be one of the most incredible moments we’ve ever seen at the Revival.
Tickets for the Festival of Speed and Revival are now on sale. Click here for tickets
