John Holman got his start swinging a wrench and driving a parts truck during the 1952 Mexican Road Race. He was later hired by Ford to run their stock car racing arm. John Moody drove in NASCAR proving quite successful in the 1956 season. Due to a ban on manufacturer supported stock car racing, the pair struck out on their own buying what was left of Ford's racing operation in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Holman-Moody would go on to be one of the most powerful and influential designers, manufacturers and supporters of stock cars, endurance specials, and engine building in all types of applications. They were synonymous with Ford and NASCAR, developing and building stock cars for use in competition throughout the 1960's and 70's.
They also developed and campaigned the famed GT40, a fact which is sometimes obscured in the history books due to the outsized role of Texas "Snake Charmer" Carroll Shelby. And while they are no longer involved in racing, they've continued to crank out new build GT40's based on the original chassis. That's right, you can now buy a brand new GT40 MkII just as it appeared in the 1960's. These are not reproductions but faithful originals.
Let's check out the Holman-Moody Ford GT40 MkII and what makes it so unique in an era of mass production and high tech infotainment.
The Holman-Moody GT40 MkII
The Holman-Moody shop is located in the epicenter of the NASCAR racing world - Charlotte, N.C. While it's not in the exact same location when it was founded over 60 years ago, the entire operation complete with original tooling, equipment, machinery, and even welders, fabricators and craftsman who have been with the company for years still work there.
The Ford GT40 MkII was the first true, racing iteration of the famous GT40 that would go on to win the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's the same car that was also featured in the breakout hit, Ford v. Ferrari, last year that charted the people, personalities and cars involved in the historic run. The new build cars are unique in that they are not reproductions or replicas but originals down to the last detail but separated by over a half century. Holman-Moody had the extra chassis' and they either tracked down original parts or hand fabricated the rest based on the original blueprints.
Just Like The Originals
To make the bodies of the car, the original molds were used and kept true to the as-raced GT40 MkII's. Powering the MkII was the legendary Ford 427 FE sideoiler engine topped with medium riser heads and a bulletproof bottom end, aluminum intake manifolds, and hand assembled at Holman-Moody's own shop just like they were in the 1960's.
Bu the degree of authenticity only went so far. Some minor improvements and modifications were made with experience and modern requirements in mind. According to Lee Holman, "some modifications [were] necessary for safety. The oil cooler had been located in the fender well above the driver's feet, to avoid severe burns in accidents it is now positioned safely behind the passenger's seat. The rear suspension pick-up point now uses two bolts to distribute the stress, as opposed to the single bolts on the older cars. [And,] we changed the fuel delivery system from the original three pumps and multiple valves to a simpler and more reliable two fuel cell system, each having its own pump."
Primed And Ready To Take On Le Mans ... Again!
So how many chassis' are left over? Holman-Moody claims they were nine originally and of this writing it's not clear how many are still available for sale. The purchase price starts at $700,000 but with options and configured to a customer's tastes you can expect that figure to go well north of that figure. That certainly is a lot of money but when you consider that original GT40 MkII's easily bring in the seven and eight figures these new build cars might just be a steal. Plus, you have the benefit of modest upgrades and a brand new vehicle.
John Holman's son, and company head, Lee Holman says they have no plans to produce any more out of fear of diluting the brand. My hat's off to Lee's decision and the company his father founded. Buckle up.
Sources: Holman-Moody, Ford