4 Films That Show How Ford’s Legendary GT40 Was Born

It’s one thing to talk about how Ford managed to finally defeat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but another thing entirely to hear them roar as it happened. Searching for watchable period films can offer mixed results, but we’ve managed to find four films that detail some of the GT40’s earliest triumphs ahead of Ferrari and Porsche.

This Time Tomorrow is an official film that Ford made while racing in—and ultimately winning—the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. I’m not sure how I haven’t watched this gem before, but it’s well worth a watch and definitely not focused soeley on the Ford pits.

Shelby Goes Racing With Ford isn’t strictly about the GT40, but it was filmed at a time when Ford was desperate to have the car sorted, especially as its first year in 1964 was forgettable and its 1965 racing record is dismal. Of course, Shelby’s team had it sorted for a dominating 1966.

Ferodo (brakes) helped to support the Ford effort at Le Mans, and in 1968, sought to capture its involvement in the race. As it happens, the sole finishing GT40 ended up winning against some strong competition, but not before Ferodo filmmakers spent the night gathering footage for a psychedelic night time montage.

Which GT40 variant was fastest? In the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring, Ford’s supercar was finally baked into a competitive, world-beating machine—with thanks given to the several teams that ran their own GT40 variants. Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby driving for Shelby American led the car’s 1, 2, 3 finish.