It was early afternoon on June 18, 1966, when the helicopter descended from the sky, landing on a helipad by the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans. Record crowds had turned out to witness the 24-hour classic—some 350,000 people gathered for a climactic war of speed between Ford of Dearborn and Ferrari of Maranello. From out of the chopper came Henry Ford II (“the Deuce”), the grandson of Ford’s founder and one of the most powerful chief executives of his time. Beside him was his son Edsel Ford II, then just 17 years old. All around them, the crowds surged. “It was absolutely extraordinary,” Edsel Ford says, looking back.
This story originally appeared in Volume 16 of Road & Track.
The great-grandson of Henry Ford rarely gives interviews. But we caught up with Edsel to look at these old photographs (most of which have never been published), hoping they would jar memories loose. And, man, did they ever.
“I remember my father suggesting that maybe I should come with him to France,” Edsel says. “I thought that was an absolutely wonderful idea for lots of reasons, but primarily because that would give me some time to spend with my father. That was important to me.” He recalls being thankful for the helicopter, not because it was cool to fly in but because of security. “It was wonderful to have the helicopter so we could get out quickly. There were lots of people. From a security point of view, for my father especially, it was a good idea.”
Henry Ford II was the grand marshal of the race that year. He was sharply dressed in coat and tie and had his new wife on his arm, the beautiful Maria Cristina Vettore Austin Ford, who had bet $1000 on Ferrari to win. “After all,” she said, “I’m Italian!”
Reporters peppered Henry II with questions. “Ford is an international company,” he told one, “with branches all over the free world. We feel a good showing by our products at Le Mans will reflect favorably on us in the countries where we do business.”
As the grand marshal, the Deuce waved the French flag to start the action. “Those were the days,” Edsel recalls, “when the drivers ran across the track to start the cars.” The 7.0-liter V-8s of the GT40s exploded to life, along with the 4.0-liter Ferrari V-12s. “You think of the engines in those vehicles,” says Edsel. “I sure would like to hear that again now.”
We know how the race ends: a one-two-three staged photo finish for Ford. Edsel does not recall the specifics of the event shown in these victory-celebration photos, in which you see him with winners Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren. In one snapshot, you can see Edsel frowning, and when asked about it, he laughs and says, “I think it’s because they made me wear a tie!” That’s not something Ford men would do at the Daytona 500 or Indianapolis. But this was Le Mans, the crown of European endurance motorsport. And it remains the most important international racing victory Ford Motor Company has ever captured.
“From today’s point of view,” Edsel recalls, “the fact that we achieved a one-two-three victory at Le Mans is an amazing accomplishment. And there were so many people involved.” Many of them are legendary figures in the automobile business, from Amon and McLaren to Carroll Shelby, Lee Iacocca, and the Ford family itself.
About eight years ago, Edsel started an email correspondence with Amon. Ford was about to return to Le Mans for the 50th anniversary with an all-new Ford GT that, like the 1966 GT40, could crank past 200 mph on the Mulsanne straight.
“As we got closer,” Edsel says, “I said to Amon, ‘We would love to have you come with us to Le Mans to help celebrate.’ Amon had cancer. Up until the last minute, I thought I would get him to come. He lived in a tiny New Zealand town. It would have been the highlight of my life to have him come in 2016. Because 50 years after 1966, we won the race again [in class, not overall]. It was 50 years to the day. How fun is that?”
Amon died two months later. But the memories live on for Edsel. “It was fun watching Ford v Ferrari, just like it’s fun looking at these photos,” he says. “Because it brings back so many memories. It’s why I love motor racing.”
A.J. Baime is the author of seven books, including Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans, and The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World. An R&T editor-at-large, he has driven cars on racetracks all over the U.S. and Europe, going back to 2007. He is proudly the R&T staff’s slowest track driver.
