Is the Ken Miles story true?
Ken Miles & Carroll Shelby: The True Story From humble beginnings to the infamous Le Mans race, they experienced groundbreaking achievements and heartbreaking setbacks along the way, leaving a legacy that still enthralls and inspires auto enthusiasts worldwide. One of the more memorable scenes involves Carroll Shelby taking Henry Ford II on a high-speed lap in the GT40. It’s a great cinematic moment—but in real life, it was Ken Miles who gave Ford the white-knuckle ride.
Did Lee Iacocca and Carroll Shelby get along?
During the 1960s, Carroll Shelby and Lee Iacocca became very good friends as Shelby, through his Cobra, Ford GT and Shelby Mustang programs, put some teeth and credibility into the Ford Total Performance marketing program. Carroll Shelby was an American car designer, race car driver, and businessman who had a net worth of $40 million at the time of his death. Carroll Shelby is best known for creating Ford Motor Company’s landmark AC Cobra and Mustang cars.
Did Steve McQueen know Carroll Shelby?
In June 1963, Carroll Shelby and Steve McQueen met at Shelby’s Cobra company headquarters in Los Angeles, marking a significant moment in automotive history. Carroll Shelby, a legendary car designer, and race car driver, had founded Shelby American in 1962, quickly making a name for himself with the Shelby Cobra. Carroll Shelby will remain a part of Ford Motor Co.
Were Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles actually friends?
In 1963, Miles went to work for Carroll Shelby in positions that yielded success after success. He and Shelby became close friends. According to Shelby, “Ken was world-class and the best test driver I ever knew. He was also helpful to other drivers. In a real-life interview, a deeply saddened Shelby admitted: Not letting Ken Miles win that race was the biggest mistake of my life. Whether in the movie or in reality—when Shelby stood before Miles’ son, Peter, after Ken’s death, that silence reflected how devastating the pain of betraying a friend can be.Beebe’s interview with David Lewis takes up the point: “Ken Miles, who later died, regrettably didn’t win the race that year. I had some real difficulties over that. But he was a daredevil and I pulled him in and literally engineered the end of that race – one, two, three”.