When you finally win Le Mans for the first time after three years of hard work, that is something to celebrate. How enthusiastically did Ford celebrate its first victory at La Sarthe in 1966? We know that now. Top Gear was given the keys to the secret archives of the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn. There you can find not only drawings of the GT40, but also the invoice for the victory party.
Ford chose Le Chanteclair restaurant in New York to celebrate the victory on June 23, 1966, four days after the win. We do not know whether it was a coincidence that the owner of the restaurant was the French racing driver René Dreyfus. What is certain is that Ford employees have stuck to the French theme. In total, 25 bottles of champagne, 26 bottles of wine and 17 bottles of brut were passed through.
Don’t forget inflation
In addition, 453 individual drinks and one cake were ordered. The total amount of the bill? A reasonable $2,800. That’s not too bad for a company party, until you use the inflation calculator. After inflation adjustment, you end up with more than 27,000 dollars, equivalent to approximately 25,000 euros. And that was just the booze.
The Archives are a stone’s throw from the Henry Ford Museum, so it would be rude not to explore the museum floor to see what historical vehicles are on display. Below you’ll see infamous presidential limousines, Henry Ford’s first car, and even the bus of a civil rights movement.