1966 Ford GT40 Mk II model

Model can be purchased with or without display case. 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II 1:10 scale super grand model. Le Mans version, Second, Shelby American #1, Drivers: Ken Miles, Denny Hulme. Limited Edition of 1966 chassis numbers Case measures 22" long x 11.5" wide. When the folks at Dearborn committed Ford to international sportscar competition, they were determined to crush the conquering Ferraris. The Ford Motor Company succeeded with the incomparable GT40 racing cars; its triumphs included 4 consecutive victories at Le Mans! The rest was never history for these victories have greatly contributed to Ford's rich racing heritage, and to the sales of Ford cars in Europe and the world over. It took guts, men with vision and iron clad will power... There can be no doubt that when Ford sets their sights on a goal, they will do whatever is required to attain it. For 1966, Ford would assault Le Mans with no less than eight 7-liter Mk IIs! In the days leading up to Le Mans, the Ford team had to come to terms with the fact that Stewart, Ruby and Foyt had all suffered accidents, leaving them three good drivers short! At the last minute, GP driver Denis Hulme was amongst three new drivers to join the team. Henry Ford himself dropped the flag that signaled the start of the 24 hour marathon. GT40 Mk IIs surged into the lead, dicing with various Ferrari 330s and Phil Hill's Chaparral. Despite amazing preparation, Miles' #1 car was the first into the pits for a brief stop... starting a pitlane buzz that would last for the duration of the race. Back on track and with only 20 laps under his belt, Miles would slice over 6 seconds off of the previous lap record! Endurance takes on a whole new meaning when the daylight gives way to darkness at Le Mans. The dawn revealed the remains of abandoned race cars littering the circuit. Ford took its share of the losses, but several Mk IIs remained at the front of the field. Miles/Hulme led most of the night, shared briefly by the Gurney/Grant and McLaren/Amon cars. The morning saw the last of the Ford competition crumble. Even Gurney's #3 eventually retired. At the last pit stops, competition chief Leo Beebe directed his team to moderate their pace. The big Fords crept around the last lap to form a 1-2-3 photo finish. Then, a puzzling thing happened... Miles, Shelby's ace driver and chief tester who had led much of the race, actually braked to let McLaren cross the finish line first! Some team members thought Miles was a lap ahead. Race officials thought differently. A photo opportunity cost him victory at the world's greatest endurance race... a particularly troubling thing as Miles would be killed just two months later in testing at Riverside. Still, Ford was triumphant! Road & Track called it "America's Finest Hour in International Racing".