Ford shared the restaurant bill from 1966 Le Mans celebration and it really shows how times have changed
Published on Jun 17, 2025 at 2:13 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Jun 16, 2025 at 2:53 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Ford has shared the restaurant bill from its 1966 Le Mans celebrations, and it shows how times have changed since the first win for the GT40.
The American manufacturer took a famous win at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours. It was the brand’s first victory at the legendary endurance race.
Naturally, the company celebrated in style, with a big dinner and plenty of drinks to mark the occasion, and the company kept the restaurant bill from that momentous occasion.
That bill demonstrates how times have changed over the years. Remarkably, Ford chose to preserve this memento of one of its greatest-ever achievements.
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The bill reveals that Ford bought 453 individual drinks, 68 bottles of wine, and one cake for the big celebration party.
It also shared images of the telegram it sent out to invite people to attend the victory celebration.
In addition to inviting people to the banquet, the telegram also revealed that Ford had full access to the restaurant that day.
The place where the celebration took place was owned by former French champion driver Rene Dreyfus and his brother, Maurice.
They were the proprietors of New York’s Le Chanteclair and allowed the company to take over the restaurant for the day.
On the telegram, Ford said that the GT40’s winning drivers, Ford Special Vehicles Manager Leo C. Beebe, as well as Carroll Shelby, would be at the dinner.
An image shows Caroll Shelby with Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, the race winners, cutting the celebration cake.
Despite celebrating their first win, the 1966 Le Mans race was not without controversy.
Ford executives wanted to orchestrate a photo finish for the end, despite the risks involved with that.
This meant the GT40 of Ken Miles and Denny Hulme, who had led the majority of the race, lost out due to how officials counted the win.
The restaurant bill is an amazing snapshot of the past for the American brand.
It’s also remarkable that, in total, such a huge meal cost just over $2,000.
That probably isn’t something that would be possible in 2025!
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
