Although the Ford Motor Company was (largely) responsible for the boom in automotive innovation, mid-20th century American manufacturers still began to fall short of their European alternatives ...at least in terms of performance and motorsports presence. Ferrari, Porsche, VW, and others all earned their stripes, Ford didn't.

During the 1960s, American carmakers were concerned with comfortable, family-friendly vehicles; occasionally differentiating with a Corvette or a Mustang here and there. Like depicted in the blockbuster film Ford v. Ferrari, though, some executives had the bright idea to get into racing. The rest, dear reader, is history.

Fifty-five years and thousands of models later, and the result of Ford's hard work - the Ford GT - is cemented as a legend in both automotive and racing history alike. What the movies don't show, however, is what Ford did after the Le Mans wins and how the GT evolved. To fill that important gap, here is the evolution of the Ford GT (in photos)...

Fighting Ferrari: The GT40

Via: hemmings.com

Those of you who've watched Ford v. Ferrari are already aware of the general story behind how the Ford GT, formerly the GT40, came to be. When Ford II tried to purchase Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari denied him because of Fiat's offer and Ford's insistence on full control of Scuderia Ferrari (racing department). With that, the "easy path" had been shut for Ford.

Needless to say, Ford had a fire lit underneath them, forced to fight Ferrari with their own race car. With some help from Carroll Shelby, Ken Miles, and many more, the GT40 was born. At first, it failed horribly. However, with enough tweaks and fixes, the final version of the Ford GT40 would go on to win in Le Mans from 1966 to 1970.

It's hardly an exaggeration to say that the GT40 put America on the motorsports map. Without it, we'd probably still be stuck with NASCAR and Indy.

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First Revival: Ford GT

Via: autoguide.com

To bring the old Ford GT40 heritage to the modern day, Ford (in the early-2000's) unveiled the "Ford GT" - the updated version of the fabled racer. The original plan was to name it like the classic model ("GT40" again or "GT44" due to the extra height), but litigation and studies halted everything. As such, the "GT" would be good enough.

Obviously, the hype among car enthusiasts had reached critical levels by the time the Ford GT was actually for sale. In fact, Ford sold so many GTs that they increased the price after a short period.

Though, even with all the excitement surrounding the GT, a lot of owners had some serious problems with the car, notably Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear. Alarm systems, fuel consumption, and comfort were some of the biggest complaints. Nonetheless, the 2005-'06 Ford GT is still (rightly) seen as a worthy successor to the GT40 by many.

The Final Product: 2017 Ford GT

Via: carmagazine.co.uk

By 2016, a battle had been long raging between the supercar manufacturers of the world,  fighting to make the quickest and most innovative sports car. For example the P1, LaFerrari, 918, Agera RS, etc. Eventually, though, the focus shifted from hypercars/mega-cars to sports cars and supercars. Ferrari had the 488, Porsche (as always) has the 911, Lamborghini's Aventador, and Ford had nothing.

Ford had been in this problem before, back in 1965, so why not repeat the proven formula for success? And that was how the Ford GT returned for the second time in 2017, but in a much different form than ever beforehand.

The announcement from Ford, however, had some people worried. Instead of a V10 or powerful V8, Ford was going with the "greener" Eco-Boosted V6 (twin-turbocharged). Thankfully for us, the fear was all for nothing, as the new Ford GT has become one of the greatest supercars in the current lineup. The futuristic styling, surprisingly good M.P.G, and victories on-track is everything the Ford GT40 was, as well as what the 2005 GT wasn't.

So, Ford, if you're reading this, please keep the Ford GT in the registry. Heaven knows that millions would be heartbroken to lose it once more.

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