Ford is one of the greatest car companies in the world. And rightly so. Their story started out with the Ford Model T all those years ago, and since then they have produced some remarkable cars for sale all over the world. Cars such as the Escort, Cortina and the Focus are perhaps more well known in Europe. In America, Ford is of course famous for the F-150 pickup truck, possibly the greatest pickup truck available right now. But they also know a thing or two about performance cars.
Specifically, we are talking about the Ford GT. And in many ways, this car owes its existence to the original Ford GT40 that was originally designed and built to take on Ferrari at Le Mans back in the 1960s. There is a very strong argument to say that the GT40 is the greatest car that Ford has ever made, nearly 60 years since we first laid eyes on the remarkable Le Mans racer. The GT40 would go on to win Le Mans every year from 1966 through to 1969, and become one of the most iconic cars to ever emerge from the Blue Oval’s factory.
The History Of The Ford GT40
The Ford GT40 was born out of a simple premise. And that was that Henry Ford II wanted a car made that could take on the might of Ferrari and win the fabled event. It was that simple. This also came after a reported deal between Ford and Enzo Ferrari in the latter selling to Ford fell through. This was allegedly because Enzo Ferrari was hugely angered that Ferrari would not be able to enter the Indy 500 should Ford buy out the company. This led to a spiteful end to the deal, and Henry Ford II determined to build a car that could beat Ferrari at their own game.
This initially led to a proposal from Lola, who made the Lola Mk6. The car showed well at the 1963 Le Mans 24 Hours, but failed to finish the race. However, the foundations for the GT40 were thus laid and Eric Broadly agreed to help Ford out, but without direct involvement of Lola Cars. The first two GT40s were actually based upon a pair of Lola Mk 6 chassis that Broadly had sold to the Ford company. And soon, the GT40 itself would fully emerge.
The Ford GT40 Takes To The Stage
The first race for the GT40 would be the 1964 Nürburgring 1,000 Km. Sadly, the car retired with suspension failure, but in 1964 the three entered GT40s also failed to finish the Le Mans 24 Hours. But one car did lead the race for a long period, showing the potential. And the Ford GT40 would go on to race under the Shelby umbrella in 1965, and it took the victory at the 1965 Daytona 2,000 Km. Despite that, the car didn’t shower itself in glory in 1965. But it did in 1966.
The Ford GT40 would go on to dominate sports car racing in 1966. It won again at Daytona that February, the first year that the race was actually run in the 24-hour format. The car would then finish 1-2-3 in the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring. And as we all know, the GT40 would go on to take a famous 1-2-3 result at the Le Mans 24 Hours that June, beating Ferrari and showing Enzo Ferrari just what the Ford company was capable of. The finish to that race was of course highly controversial, but that is another story entirely.
The GT40 Racks Up The Successes
Remarkably, the GT40 couldn’t stop winning Le Mans. For the next three years, the GT40 would go on to take victory at Le Mans. Overall, the GT40 would take four overall victories at the great race. Two in the hands of Shelby-American and the other two with the cars ran by John Wyer Automotive Engineering Ltd. The GT40 would also go on to win four FIA international titles, at the time what was unofficially known as the World Sportscar Championship. It was clear for all to see that Ford had produced one of the greatest sports cars of all time.
The Legacy Of The GT40
The legacy of the GT40 couldn’t be any clearer. It is of course revered by Ford and car enthusiasts as a whole for decades. It ultimately saw a sort of revival in the mid-2000s with the new road going Ford GT, and then latterly with the 2016 Ford GT that is soon to exit production. GT40s fetch commanding prices at auction whenever they turn up, and they are perhaps the most recognizable car from the history of the Ford company, apart from perhaps the Model T. The GT40 will forever remain an icon of Ford’s.
Sources: YouTube, 427 Garage, Classic Trader, Ford