Ford GT40 — the Car Built to Beat Ferrari at Le Mans

Ford GT40 at a glance

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History

The car was born from a fierce rivalry between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari. In 1963 Ford's talks to buy Ferrari collapsed, and Henry Ford II decided to beat the Italian company on the track instead. Ford had no experience with sports-racing cars, so it based the project on the Lola Mk6 designed by Eric Broadley, who contributed personally. John Wyer and Roy Lunn joined the team, which worked in Slough, England, where Ford Advanced Vehicles was set up to run the programme. The first results were disappointing, and after the 1964 Nassau race the racing programme passed to Carroll Shelby's company, Shelby American. In 1965 the GT40 won the Daytona 2000 km with Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby, and from then on it increasingly appeared on the podium.

The name combines GT, for grand touring, with 40 — the car's height in inches at the top of the windscreen, about 1.02 metres.

Le Mans victories

• 1966: Mk II cars finished first, second and third. Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon were declared the winners after a controversial staged finish that denied Ken Miles and Denny Hulme the victory.
• 1967: Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt won in a Mk IV, the only GT40 built entirely in the United States; on the Mulsanne Straight a Mk IV reached about 343 km/h (213 mph).
• 1968: Pedro Rodríguez and Lucien Bianchi won in a Mk I entered by John Wyer's team.
• 1969: Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver won in the same Mk I chassis.

Shelby and Ken Miles were central to the car's development, improving its aerodynamics and handling and raising its top speed. Miles died in August 1966 while testing the J-car, the successor project that led to the Mk IV.

Exterior

The designers wanted a racing car that would be remembered for a long time. Since the GT40 was built first and foremost for the track, styling played a secondary role, yet the shape is unforgettable: very low, with rectangular headlights rounded at the edges and set into the body, and a smooth, streamlined form. Openings in the lower body cool the engine and brakes, and intakes in the sides serve the same purpose.

Aerodynamic work transformed the car. An early version that became unstable at around 290 km/h (180 mph) was refined in the wind tunnel, and the developed car reached about 320 km/h (200 mph). The GT40 rides on 15-inch Halibrand magnesium wheels. The doors are small and cut deep into the roof, which makes getting in a challenge. At the rear there are round tail lights at the corners and two exhaust pipes in the middle.

Interior

The cabin is focused entirely on racing; the GT40 can hardly be called comfortable. The driver faces a three-spoke steering wheel and an instrument panel that stretches horizontally across almost the entire dashboard, with many switches and gauges angled towards the driver for easier reading. Between the two seats are a divider and the handbrake lever, and the seats offer moderate side support.

Engines

The GT40 used naturally aspirated Ford V8 petrol engines mounted behind the driver. Early prototypes had a 4.2-litre unit, and production Mk I cars used the 4.7-litre (289 cubic inch) V8, which in race trim produced around 283 kW (380 hp). According to published figures, the Mk I reached 100 km/h in about 7.4 seconds and had a top speed of about 310 km/h. The Mk II and Mk IV used the 7.0-litre (427 cubic inch) V8 with about 362 kW (485 hp) and 644 Nm, cutting the 0–100 km/h time to about 5.2 seconds; published figures give a top speed of about 346 km/h. For the 1968–1969 seasons, John Wyer's Gulf-liveried Mk I cars used an enlarged 4.9-litre engine with about 317 kW (425 hp). The big engines had one undeniable drawback: high fuel consumption, which meant more frequent pit stops.

Transmission

Early cars used an Italian Colotti gearbox, which struggled with the high torque and was replaced by a ZF five-speed manual. The 7.0-litre Mk II and Mk IV used a stronger Kar Kraft four-speed. All versions are rear-wheel drive.

Chassis

The GT40's chassis derives from the Lola Mk6. Mk I chassis were built by Abbey Panels in Coventry, with a fibreglass body; the later J-car used an aluminium honeycomb tub, and the Mk IV added a steel-tube roll cage. The suspension uses wishbones at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear, with rack-and-pinion steering. The brakes were later upgraded from Girling to more effective ventilated Kelsey-Hayes discs.

Rivals

The GT40 was built to beat the fastest racing cars of its time, above all the Ferrari 365 P2 and the later Ferrari 330 P3. The Fords were faster on the straights, while the lighter Ferraris relied on agility and cornering speed.

Legacy

Only about 105 GT40s were built between 1964 and 1969, so they are rarely seen on the road, and they are extremely valuable: in 2018 a 1966 Mk II that finished third at Le Mans sold at auction for a record price for the model at the time. Ford later paid tribute to the GT40 with the Ford GT road car, delivered from 2004, and with a second-generation Ford GT, sold from 2017 with a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6.

Verdict

Was it worth the effort and money for Henry Ford II to knock Ferrari off its pedestal after Enzo Ferrari refused to sell his company? Absolutely. The road to success was long, but Ford got there — finishing first, second and third at Le Mans in 1966 and winning the next three years too. Thanks to Carroll Shelby, Ken Miles and the engineers in England and the United States, the GT40 will always have a place in the history of Le Mans and motorsport as a whole.