By Khris Bharath – September 22, 2026
Ford's Famous 1966 GT40s Le Mans Podium Finish Recreated at 2026 Goodwood Revival
60 years after Ford swept the podium at Le Mans, all three GT40 Mk IIs from that finish lined up together again at Goodwood Revival this past weekend. The black No. 2, pale blue No. 1 and gold No. 5 swept past Goodwood's grandstands in a deliberate recreation of that historic finish. With Carroll Shelby helping lead the effort and Ken Miles driving the No. 1 GT40, Ford’s 1-2-3 podium sweep ended Ferrari’s six-year winning streak at Le Mans and began four consecutive Ford victories through 1969. The trio, reunited under the stewardship of the Miller Family Automobile Foundation at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed back in July, spent the weekend on the DUNLOP stand in Earls Court between track sessions, where visitors got the chance to see all three cars up close. DUNLOP became Revival’s first presenting partner in 2026, renewing a connection that dates to 1948, when it was among Goodwood Motor Circuit’s original sponsors. Ford staged the original 1966 finish as a formation for the cameras, and the decision cost Ken Miles a win he had earned. Officials awarded victory to Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon because their car started further back on the grid and had therefore covered more distance. Miles tragically died in a crash two months later, while testing Ford’s J Car. Only eight GT40 Mk IIs were ever built. Chassis P/1032, another 1966 Le Mans entrant but not one of the podium cars, sold for $13.2 million last year. Some of motorsport’s greatest names descended on the county of West Sussex in England for the GT40 demonstrations and Revival’s races spanning machinery from the 1940s through the '60s. Historic cars from Lotus, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati also took part. Derek Bell, Tom Kristensen, Scott Dixon, Jimmie Johnson, Hélio Castroneves, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer, Marcel Fässler and Emanuele Pirro took turns at the wheel of the three Fords. <- Gallery -> Lotterer also shared victory with Lukas Halusa in the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration, against a field that included Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve, Dario Franchitti and Dixon. Castroneves made his Revival racing debut in the same two-driver contest. The event also marked 50 years since Barry Sheene's first World Championship with a gathering of championship-winning motorcycles. Tom Booth-Amos and Ben Kingham won the Barry Sheene Memorial race on a Vincent Black Shadow. The event also marked the centenary of Sir Jack Brabham's birth. Children also raced Austin J40 pedal cars past the grandstands in the Settrington Cup, giving Revival’s youngest entrants their own turn on the circuit. Elsewhere, the weekend also leaned heavily into Italian motoring culture and the spirit of 'La Dolce Vita'. Visitors were dressed in chic period fashion, very Swinging Sixties, while a collection of road and competition cars celebrated a century of Maserati racing. Richard Wilson won the Lavant Cup in a Maserati 250S, while more than 300 pre-1967 scooters, including Vespas and Lambrettas, joined the track opening parade to mark 80 years of the Vespa, and the Acrobats added a display with several riders aboard a single scooter. Beyond the circuit, the Freddie March Spirit of Aviation display featured historic aircraft, including a Spitfire marked MH434. Overall, the 2026 Revival captured Goodwood’s enduring spirit through compelling racing and remarkable machinery, celebrating some of motorsport's greatest moments. Images: Ford, Goodwood
