Ford GT40

1966 brought one of the most controversial finishes in the history of Le Mans. Ken Miles appeared to be on his way to becoming the first driver in history to win at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans in the same year.

But with Miles seemingly on his way to victory in the late stages at Le Mans, Ford officials decided to go for a "blanket" finish, bringing three of their cars across the finish line together. Miles thought he was a lap ahead, but a disputed ruling later put him on the same lap as the other cars, and he finished second in the race.

The team of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon won the race, but the car they drove to victory was soon retired and lost for many years. Apparently, it fell into the hands of an individual who turned it into a driver, painting the car and adding many features unusual for a racer, such as air conditioning and shag carpet!

At some point, it was purchased by an investor and stored for several years in a warehouse in Belgium along with two other GT40s. By this time, the car wasn't at all recognizable, and was actually stored in a crate.

Then just a few short years ago, the decision was made to sell the stored GT40s as a group. American collector George Stauffer, who already had several of the famous racers, was contacted as a possible buyer. Stauffer took a look at the two other GT40s with some interest, but found the crate held a treasure. Picking up the package - including the unrecognizable '66 championship car in its crate - Stauffer confirmed the car's history and went to work restoring it.

Now, the car that won that highly controversial Le Mans title is back in its original racing condition. In 1997, My

Classic Car visited with George and got a close-up look at this legendary machine, which became forever embedded in racing lore, thanks to that unusual event in 1966.

We have the details on this car for you, plus a chance to see it go back on the track, on Episode 976107 of My Classic Car Video Magazine!