Immortalised in the hit movie Le Mans 66 or Ford v Ferrari, the Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic racing cars of all time, with Chassis 1024 landing at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Mauritius on 27 November. This legendary vehicle is set to wow the crowds at the Milestones Motor Museum when it opens its doors to the public in late 2026. The car will feature prominently alongside other show-stoppers including the McLaren F1, Aston Martin DB5 and the Nissan R32 GT-R ‘Godzilla’, as well as the recently arrived Tucker 48, previously owned by leading Hollywood filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
Milestones Limited has announced the arrival in Mauritius of a 1965 Ford GT40, a racing car model which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race for four consecutive years from 1966 to 1969, ending the winning streak of Ferrari, which dominated the race in the early 1960s.
The Ford GT40 Chassis 1024, which forms part of the Milestones Collection from the UK, landed at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport on 27 November. Given its supreme racing heritage, the car is set to become a star attraction when the Milestones Motor Museum, currently under construction in Beaux Songes, opens its doors to the public in late 2026.
The Milestones Motor Museum will house and display over 200 vintage and classic cars. Milestones is owned and funded in perpetuity by the Star & Key Foundation, a Mauritian foundation entirely funded by Terry Smith, who has donated the car collection to it and who is supervising the construction and operation of the Museum.
Ford v Ferrari: when business is personal
The Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic endurance racing cars of all time, created as a result of a grudge between Ford and Ferrari, as two titans of the automotive industry. This feud formed the centrepiece of the 2019 Oscar-winning movie ‘Le Mans 66’ or ‘Ford v Ferrari’, starring Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles.
The story began in the early 1960s, when Henry Ford II made a bid to buy a 90 per cent interest in Ferrari for $18 million as a smart branding move to become involved in auto racing, at a time when Ferrari was dominating the circuits. However, Enzo Ferrari suddenly pulled out the deal, citing a clause in the contract which required Ford to approve major expenditures as a deal breaker, facing the wrath of Ford, who instructed his team to beat Ferrari at the world-leading endurance race 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ford’s chief engineer, Roy Lunn, came up with a concept of a two-seater sports car with a low-slung, shark-like body and a powerful V8 mid engine. The design was 156 inches long and 40 inches high, which led to the car being dubbed the GT40 due to its height.
After the GT40 struggled in its initial races in 1964, Ford handed control of the racing program to Carroll Shelby, a former champion race car driver turned designer, who had already earned Enzo Ferrari’s enmity by beating him at Le Mans in 1959 as a driver for Aston Martin.
Ford’s luck began to improve in 1965, after Shelby and his team made changes including a 7.0 litre 427 cu engine, which led the GT40 to triumph at Daytona with Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby at the wheel. Fast forward to 1966, when there was a 1-2-3 finish at Daytona, victory for Ken Miles at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and finally the much-anticipated win at Le Mans in a finish which was beyond Ford’s wildest dreams: three Fords crossed the finishing line together, nailing the victory they had so wanted to achieve.
Ford GT40 Chassis 1024
The Milestones Collection owns the Ford GT40 Chassis 1024, which is blue with a white stripe, the racing colours of Shelby American, and which will be on display at the museum. The car is one of only 87 production cars ever built and was purchased from the Portuguese race car driver Jose Albuquerque, who won a podium with the vehicle in the 2015 edition of the 250 km of Estoril, Portugal.
Chassis 1024 was built in 1965 and then shipped to Shelby American, where the engine was installed and the final stages of finishing were carried out. The car’s owners over the years could be a Who’s Who of world motorsports.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Tucker 48
Another recent arrival in Mauritius to appear in the museum is the Tucker 48, an American car which had been previously owned by leading Hollywood filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola since the late 1970s, and which featured in the 1988 movie he made entitled “Tucker: The Man and His Dream”.
Preston Tucker was a visionary inventor who dreamed of designing and mass-producing cars for the American market using various innovations. However, he was beset with legal and financial problems which led to his downfall at a time when Ford, General Motors and Chrysler were manufacturing over 95 per cent of American cars. His unconventional fundraising methods, including selling dealership rights for a car that did not yet exist, led to fraud charges and eventual bankruptcy.
There are only 47 surviving cars out of 51 road cars ever produced, all made by hand, with subtle differences among them. The Milestones Collection owns one of only 12 Tuckers originally finished in Waltz Blue Metallic. Terry Smith acquired the vehicle for the collection by making a successful telephone bid at auction while driving in a Ford Galaxy MPV.
Terry Smith: “Ford set out to prove a point, and they did”
Commenting on the arrivals of the Ford GT40 Chassis 1024 and the Tucker 48, which will further consolidate the position of the Milestones Motor Museum as a world-class attraction for Mauritius when it opens to the public, Terry Smith said:
“The Ford GT40 is one of my favourite cars from the collection, not only in view of its phenomenal performance and track record but because of the incredible story behind it, which was immortalised on the big screen in Le Mans 66 or Ford v Ferrari. When Ferrari pulled out of the business deal with Ford, Henry Ford II was livid and instructed his team to “go to Le Mans, and beat his ass!” Ford set out to prove a point by building the GT40, and they did. Sometimes business is personal after all.”
“I am also looking forward to unveiling the Tucker 48 as another cutting-edge car which has also appeared in the movies. Preston Tucker was ahead of his time, with the Tucker 48 once being seen as the 1940s car of the future, yet he was plagued by difficulties which meant that he never achieved the mass production, or recognition, that he deserved. We are thrilled to have acquired the car owned by Francis Ford Coppola since his own father was an investor who truly believed in its potential.”
“Both of these cars have their rightful place in automotive history and we can’t wait to share them with car enthusiasts from Mauritius and across the globe when we open our doors at the end of next year,” Terry concluded.
| Key Facts: Ford GT40 Built 1964-1969 4736cc V8 engine 5 speed manual Top speed 205 mph 87 productions cars built and 12 prototypes |
| Key Facts: Tucker 48 Fitted with 355 cubic inch Franklin OHV flat 6-Cylinder Engine Produces around 166 BHP at 3,200 RPM 4-Speed manual transmission with vacuum-electrical preselector 47 surviving cars out of 51 ever produced The only vehicle in the southern hemisphere (as far as can be determined) |
About Terry Smith
Terry Smith is a businessman and Mauritian citizen, who has been running an international fund management business from Mauritius since 2014. Terry is committed to supporting economic growth in Mauritius, and he has also supported youth and sports in local communities since his arrival on the island.
