Kenneth Henry Miles, also known as Ken Miles, was a British sports car driver, engineer, and inductee to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. His parents were Eric Miles and Clarice Jarvis who were British residents.

Miles became a well-known personality throughout the world for his career in motorsport, mainly based in the USA. But he does off the racing tracks He raced for the American team and became an international personality and gained popularity for his achievements in the racing field.

He was born on 1st November 1918 in Birmingham and died on 17th August 1966 in a car accident during a test drive of one of Ford’s prototype test cars. In the short span of his career, he managed to achieve the fame that would keep his legacy alive for the next century.

He married Mollie and they had a son who they named Peter. Peter Miles was born on 28th September 1950 and today he continues on the footstep of his father, though not as a racer. He seems to be equally interested in motorsport and ended up pursuing his career in the same field as his father did.

When Kenneth’s accident happened, his wife Mollie and son Peter were present at the site. Ken’s son Peter was not let into the immediate scene of the accident but he knew something was terribly wrong.

He recalls he saw a ball of fire from far while his father drove the prototype car as a test drive. This was probably one of the reasons Peter did not actively participate in racing track, although he is said to race off-track or off-field as a passion.

Kenneth Henry Miles was keen on the field of mechanics and worked as an apprentice at Wolseley Motors. He later was sent to technical school for upgrading his knowledge and skills in the said field. Eventually, he showed interest in bikes and became a short-term motorbike racer before joining the British Army during the second world war.

In 1952 he moved to the US from his native land, England, and decided to settle in Los Angeles to further his career in the field of his interest, i.e., in motorsport. At the Gough Industries in South California, he worked as a service manager.

In the initial stage of his career as a racer, he won fourteen races at a stretch in SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) founded in 1944, which is a non-profit American Automobile club that sponsors automobile racing events across the United States for professionals as well as newcomers.

How did Ken Miles Die?

In the year 1966, Miles won the second position in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race due to some technical issues. Later that year, two months after the race to be precise, Miles suffered a huge crash during a test drive that cost him his life.

Ken Miles was test driving a prototype car of Ford, J-Car at Riverside International Raceway in Southern California in 1966. The car that Miles was driving to test for the race suddenly flipped and crashed, catching fire immediately as a result.

He was declared dead when the teammates and medical team arrived at the scene of the accident and pulled his body out of the car to provide first aid. His son Peter said in an interview that he saw the accident from afar and was not allowed to arrive at the immediate scene of the accident as his elders did not want him to be traumatized.

All he could recall was he saw fire ensuing the crashed car and everyone around him rushed to the spot. This tragic end of the famous sportsperson saddened his family, friends, acquaintances, and all his fans as well as the fans of the racing event. His death was a blow to the motorsport organization and a huge loss to the Ford Company where Miles worked dedicatedly.

What Happened to Ken Miles’ Son Peter?

Peter Miles is currently working in the same field of motorsport as his father used to. He does not participate in official races but he does so off the racing tracks. He began his career as a fabricator in Precision Performance Inc. and was later promoted as a crew chief.

Ford VS Ferrari

The story of Ken Miles and his career inspired the film Ford Vs Ferrari which has depicted his life, achievements in his career, and position in the world of motorsport in the closest manner it could.

The movie stars Christian Bale as Ken Miles and Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby, alongside Caitriona Balfe as Mollie Miles and Noah Jupe as Peter Miles. The movie was released in 2019 and has garnered critics’ acclamations and also was a hit at the box office.