Chris Amon GT40 - 50th Anniversary of victory at Le Mans

[@mrcruzi]

I got to meet Chris Amon Years ago In Taupo NZ, Really Nice Guy.

[@jansweeney7950]

thats the first time i have ever heard anyone say Ken Miles wasn't winning the race

[@kellienicolebrooksschettin6598]

What a beautiful car nice design for 1965 still great looking....ah hah Bruce slowed up yeah ken had that issue with the door lost a lot of time on track....so he was charging....got it...thanks that black car was just mean looking..

[@ancient1946]

Arguably well known in the era as one of the best talents NEVER to win a GP. Recall seeing him in his 2.5l Ferrari here @ Lakeside Circuit QLD, in the Tasman C/ships, against Sir Jackie, Graham Hill RIP, Jochen Rindt RIP, Piers Courage RIP & others.

[@mamingakuri2436]

bruce mclaren and chris Amon are ny two fav drivers rip

[@nilimadhore5742]

Forgot Ken miles?

[@nilimadhore5742]

The leader

[@lukegamer167]

@@nilimadhore5742 both of them are kiwis with formula 1 experience grew up in small little country towns both starting a racing team (amon sadly didn't have any success) No one forgot ken miles who was a legend in his own right but their is always something about a kiwi in motorsports

[@RatsmithNZ]

RIP Chris :(

[@ancient1946]

....and Bruce McL. RIP 😢

[@y8r113]

Ugh. So beautiful. I own one in GTA Online :-)

[@dracorpgroup]

As I recall there was this controversy about who actually won the race that year. Ken Miles was first of the three-car photo finish but not declared the winner. The reason given by the authorities was that since the Ken Miles car was near the front of the line of cars to have started the race then his car had not traveled further in the twenty-four hours than had the Chris Amon car which was further back in the starting grid. What is the point of placing a car at the front of the grid if it means you lose. True, the race winner is the car that travels the furthest in the twenty-four hours; however, there should be one finish line and the distance should start from that line. More to the point, all cars starting the race should be behind this line and the winner declared at that point in the track. Ken was killed later testing a new prototype for Ford Motor Company.

[@michaelmorahan57]

look at the photo of the finish number 2 car crossed the line first

[@dracorpgroup]

@@michaelmorahan57 That is true in that photo. Sorry to be so factual but I think you missed the point of my posting. Anyway, the GT40 story in the mid-sixties was a tremendous several years of intense focus to win at that race specifically. It was a long time ago but that car is still a marvelous race car.

[@GarySharapata]

Awesome!

[@joergojschaefer3521]

Ford GT40 at Le Mans, the true Spirit of USA: “We have no chance, so... Folks, pack up your things, there is a race to win!”

[@thomaslongshore1295]

Hold my beer.

[@adampenn1349]

Idk how you can feel as if you deserved a podium when someone slowed down for you

[@michaelmorahan57]

ken miles did not slow down he sped up bruce then sped up and passed ken easily chris amon and bruce mclaren won the 1966 le mans race

[@michaelmorahan57]

The no2 car was painted black as ordered by Caroll Shelby because it was New Zealands colours. See All Blacks

[@ancient1946]

You mean black & silver [racing stripes]

[@mr.simone2507]

Kevin Miles Is the winner 🏆!!!!!!!!!!!

[@beagle7622]

Is this the original or the car that was built for him. I believe that the new car has a GT40 Chassis Number.Boy he could drive just had the most atrocious luck in F1.

[@beagle7622]

I am angry at the film. It is no way a film about Le Mans 1966. Its a film about a friendship using Le Mans as its background. The film with a few exceptions is full of omissions & factual errors. The Fords were racing each other. The Ferrari P3 was seriously outrun that year as the P4 was the next year. Shelby’s team had 3 cars not 1, and include the winning car the 2 car. The thing is the film makes McLaren look like he cheated the win he didn’t he deserved to win. Miles also is misrepresented as was Leo Bebe. Miles definitely backed off at the Finish line giving McLaren the win. If you watch the video of the finish the car running 3rd a Holman Moody Car was in formation but caught Miles in the last 2 hundred metres. Helicopter shots for the last lap show Miles lagging behind McLaren. Bruce was a top line driver& very fast, the first race I saw him in , he & Jack Brabham tussled for the lead for an hour before Jack blew up 3 laps from the end. The open top car that Miles drove at Sebring was evidently put together by Bruce from a car supplied to him. Bruce & Ken Miles drove together the year before the race that the film said Miles did not drive in.Both Bruce & Chris are in my autograph book that I have kept.it was different those days . I used to pay 2 dollars to get into the track & 2 dollars to the pits, $8 for Sat & Sun. I saved for months, the drivers walked around the tents & always gave autographs.

[@CPez]

Beagle76 would love to hear more detail in this. Great write up!

[@barrycuda3769]

Sensationalized piffle . AJ Foyt said he didn't think much of the movie, mainly I think because of the inaccuracies. And Matt Damon as Carrol Shelby , no I don't think so .

[@beagle7622]

@@barrycuda3769 Yes Matt Damon was just ridiculous.i picked up on that straight away. From what I have read & seen about Shelby he was nowhere near it . His height was the first thing. From start to finish the film was just inaccurate. That’s fine but don’t sell it as an accurate depiction of those events of 1966.

[@barrycuda3769]

@@beagle7622 In my opinion people stopped making good movies somewhere around 1973, but ,one really good thing about this time that we live in , is the access to just about any movie from the past , and we can own them and put them on any time we like . And when it comes to car movies, I'm very pleased to own "Grand Prix " 1966, and "Le Mans " 1970 .

[@beagle7622]

@@barrycuda3769 Grand Prix’s depiction of Spa was just brilliant. It’s just amazing what the drivers of that era endured & the danger that was ever present.

[@groupb5420]

Great history but Ken miles was robbed on a technicality should never have been allowed 🇬🇧

[@ivanjulian2532]

Oh hogwash. With 6 hours left in the race they were still racing flat out. And the McLaren/Amon car was out in front, fairly and squarely, by a whole minute. The orders went out to ALL THREE cars in the lead to slow down to ensure a 1-2-3 Ford finish. Of the three Ford cars in the lead the ONLY car that didn't obey team orders was Ken Miles. And even then, the only reason he came back to the McLaren car was NOT consicence, it's because the team gave him a faulty warped disc during the 20 hour brake change and he needed to come back in a 2nd time. In every respect, Ken Miles got what he deserved for not being a team player.

[@groupb5420]

@@ivanjulian2532 … how is it “ hog wash “ when miles slowed down to cross the line together with his team mates thus robbing Ken miles of the triple trophy 🥴

[@ivanjulian2532]

@@groupb5420 it's hogwash because the rules at Le Mans have been what they are for over a 100 years. The winner is the car which travels the most distance. You can have an engine failure with 30 minutes left in the race, but if your car travels the most distance you're still the winner. It's not a technicality - it's in the rules. You answered your own question. Ken Miles was actually 2nd car across the line after the 24 Hour mark. He wasn't robbed, he actually handed the win to McLaren. The Ford team orders are what they are. Ford didn't exist for the benefit of Ken Miles, Ken Miles existed for the benefit of Ford. He was an employee who was expected to do what his employers told him to do. If Miles wanted the win he shouldn't have handed the win to McLaren.

[@groupb5420]

@@ivanjulian2532 …the video footage and photographic evidence proves that he was minutes ahead in the race but due to the self serving instructions from Ford plus a technicality he was robbed from first place … this is a proven fact in history…. I’m only quoting what I’ve researched over the years 👍🇬🇧

[@ivanjulian2532]

@@groupb5420 in Carroll Shelby's own words, Ken Miles ignored Team orders while Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren didn't (his own stablemates at Shelby American no less). In every possible way Ken Miles was NOT a team player.

[@Tenn1972]

Ken Miles won! Stop shoving propaganda!