In 1965, Colin Chapman, Jim Clark, and the Ford Motor Company teamed up to change the Indy 500 forever.

We try to avoid absolute historical claims here at Mac’s Motor City Garage, but a solid case could be made that the 1965 Indianapolis 500 was the most pivotal race in the Speedway’s history. That was the year that Lotus, Jim Clark, and the Ford Motor Company laid the roadster era to rest once and for all. And ’65 was the year that the Indianapolis 500 was transformed from a colorful regional event into a motorsports happening of international stature.

The car that won the race in ’65, a Lotus 38 powered by a Ford Indy 255 V8 and driven by Jim Clark, is one of the prouder possessions of the Henry Ford Museum. And in this video Matt Anderson, the museum’s curator of transportation, provides an excellent 10-minute summary on one of the seminal moments in American auto racing history. Beautifully produced, impeccably researched, and wonderfully paced, the film is well worth your time. Please enjoy.