Key Takeaways

• Ken Miles was a racing legend with a tragic end, testing a Ford GT40. His son Peter carries on his father's legacy in motorsports.
• Despite not racing like his father, Peter Miles contributed to 'Ford v Ferrari' to ensure the accurate portrayal of his family's story.
• Mollie Miles, Ken's wife, chose to continue living in California after his death, focusing on raising their son Peter.

Not every gearhead can afford to buy and enjoy their dream cars, so many of us choose to experience such cars through the eyes of others. This is likely why movies focused around motorsport have become so impressively successful in recent years, with releases such as 'Rush' and, of course, 'Ford V Ferrari'.

The latter covers one of the most significant motorsport events in history, which is the rise to fame of the iconic Ford GT40. As a quick spoiler, the film follows the series of events that sees Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles achieve awesome success on racetracks around the world, as Ford finally steps up to seriously challenge the prancing horse of Ferrari. However, the film ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, with viewers keen to find out more.

HotCars has used information sourced from the 20th Century Fox film, 'Ford V Ferrari', in addition to direct quotes and information obtained by Le Mans, the LA Times, and Road & Track, in order to bring you everything we know about Peter Miles, Ken Miles' son, after the tragic events depicted in 'Ford V Ferrari'.

Here's What Happened To Ken Miles During 'Ford V Ferrari'

Ken Miles Fast Facts

• Ken was born in England, in 1918
• His racing career began with motorcycles, when he was just 11 years old
• Between 1958 and 1963, Ken won 38 out of 44 races he entered in the SCCA
• Carroll hired him as Shelby's chief test driver in 1963
• In 2001, Ken Miles was posthumously added into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

Ken Miles Dies During A Tragic Accident, When Testing A Revised Ford GT40

For the majority of the film, Ken Miles can be seen struggling to balance his big personality with the world of professional racing. Ultimately, he manages to place his ego to one side at most of the right moments, while impressing on tracks across the globe with his impressive pace, and bravery on track. With Ken behind the wheel, Ford achieved their goal of dominating Ferrari, boasting wins at Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona – to name but a few locations.

However, the final scene of the film shows Ken testing a developmental endurance sports car for Ford, the 'J-Car', and after being encouraged to put in just one more lap, everything goes wrong. As Ken approaches the magical 7,000 rpm, the camera shifts to show his feet punching frantically at the brake pedal. A cloud of smoke appears, followed by flames. The team rushes over to help Ken, but Carroll Shelby stays to console Ken's son, Peter Miles, who saw the events unfold.

For many, this bitter ending was a troubling scene to watch, not least because it leaves questions unanswered about what happened to Ken Miles' son.

'Ford V Ferrari' Didn't Explain What Happened To Peter Miles

The film does little to answer what happened to Ken Miles' son, Peter Miles. He is last seen with a concerned expression, watching his father crash on track, with Carroll Shelby looking back to comfort him. Throughout the film, Peter is present, so no doubt he will at least be partially aware of the dangers that were involved with 1960s motor racing, but naturally, this still would have been a huge mental blow to Peter.

The story for Peter stops here, as far as the film is concerned, but Peter is now in his mid-70s, and still keen to explore and explain his father's heroic story.

Here's What Really Happened To Ken Miles' Son

Peter Miles Fast Facts

• Peter Miles did not pursue a racing career
• He provided info to the filming staff, to help actors to portray his parents accurately
• Peter last attended Le Mans in 1965, although his father did not finish the race

Peter Miles Avoided A Career Behind The Wheel, But Still Flourished Within The Automotive World

According to an LA Times article from 1991, Peter Miles focused on the mechanical side of things, rather than trying to follow too closely in his father's footsteps. He was only 15 at the time of Ken's fateful crash, and possibly may have been mentored into sports car racing by Ken, if the J-Car testing had proved more successful. In later years, Peter worked for custom and fabrication shops, before ending up as crew chief for Ivan Stewart's dessert racing Toyota truck.

When interviewing for Le Mans, Peter recalls how he provided actors Christian Bale and Caitriona Balfe, who would play the parts of his parents in 'Ford V Ferrari', old photographs and press clippings, in order for them to play their parts more accurately.

I gave Christian Bale info about my dad from press clippings and magazine articles, and I showed him personal photos and shared audio recordings with him. Bale was looking to remain as faithful as possible to my father. I also met Caitriona Balfe and gave her snapshots of my mother and described her as best as I could.

This sort of contribution is vital, as it ensures the heroic story of both his father's life, and the rise to fame of Shelby and Ford, are told as faithfully and accurately as possible. Ken Miles is portrayed as a wonderfully colorful character on screen, and no doubt Peter Miles' support helped to describe just what kind of man he was, back in the '60s.

Peter Miles Took To The Daytona Raceway In A Ford GT

2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition Specs

The 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition Commemorates The Success Of Ken Miles

Peter Miles has been fortunate enough to retrace some of his father's footsteps, as Ford gave him the opportunity to enjoy some track time at Daytona Raceway, where Ken achieved his, and Ford's, first ever 24-hour victory in the mid-1960s. Fast-forward over 50 years, and Ford endurance driver Joey Hand recreated this success, by taking victory once again in the 24-hour Daytona endurance race.

Peter looked remarkably calm in the passenger seat as Joey powered around the circuit, but this is likely credited to his decades' worth of experience, working alongside other race cars and drivers. The Ford in question is no ordinary GT, but a 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition, built specifically to honor Ken Miles' achievements in the '60s. Only 50 of these commemorative examples were ever assembled, with MSRPs just south of $1 million, although scarce auction results show them fetching closer to $1.5 million on the used market.

Here's What Happened To Ken Miles' Wife

In addition to leaving unanswered questions about Peter Miles, the film also doesn't document what happened to Mollie Miles, Ken's wife, after the tragic accident in 1966. Mollie moved with Ken to California, and so it's right for intrigued fans to wonder what she decided to do with her life, after the loss of her husband.

Information about Mollie's later life is scarce, but she did publish the below words in late 1966, which goes some way to explain how she continued once Ken Miles had passed.

May I, through Road & Track, express my thanks to the hundreds of people who, from all over the world, sent flowers and messages. Nothing could ever replace what I have lost—but the love and kindness showered upon me has been unbelievable. I am trying to acknowledge all the messages, but inevitably there are a few addresses I do not have.

It has been a great life out here (in California)—sometimes controversial, sometimes turbulent, but we have been happy, and when I was asked if I planned to continue living here, I was honestly dumbfounded. All I could think of to say was “Of course, this is our home.” And it is. Thank you all for making it so.

Very sincerely, Mollie Miles, November 1966

It's clear that Mollie Miles felt very much at home in California, and would naturally have been busy raising and protecting her son Peter, who was just 15 at the time of Ken Miles' death.

Sources: Le Mans, Road & Track, LA Times, RM Sotheby's