The 1964 Ford GT40

The car of the day is the Ford Gt40. This car was originally produced in 1964 by Ford Motor company as a racecar. The car was inspired by the “ford gt” project which was created as an effort to compete with Ferrari on European racing circuits (the triple crown).In 1966, Ford with the GT40 MKII broke Ferrari’s record winning streak at Le Mans(one of the triple crown races.) The "40" represented its height of 40 inches measured at the windscreen.

Henry Ford II wanted a Ford racecar at Le Mans for many years. In 1963 car company Enzo Ferrari inquired about being acquired by Ford. Ford reportedly spent millions of dollars in negotiations, along with auditing the finances factory assets of Ferrari only to have Ferrari ultimately pull from the deal at a late stage. The reasoning was because Ferrari wanted to remain the sole operator of his company's motorsports division and was angry when he was told that he would not be able to compete at the Indianapolis 500 if he sold to Ford. Both sides left the table enraged and Ford II directed his racing division to find a company that can be a ford beater on the world endurance racing-circuit.

Ford started negotiations with the car company Lola in 1963. They eventually struck a deal primarily because Lola had previously used the Ford V8 engine in one of their models(The Lola MK6) which naturally the Ford company appreciated. The terms of the deal were simple, there would be a 1 year collaboration between the two companies to create the new car and some parts used on the Lola MK6 would laso be used on the Ford GT40(Chassis). The first Ford GT40 was unveiled in England on April 1st and soon after New York. purchase price of the completed car for competition use was £5,200( £129,000.08 in 2023.)

The Ford GT40 MKI had a 4.7L V8 engine. The first success of this car came at the 1965 Daytona race where it placed first. Later it won the Le Mans race in 1968 and 1969. The MKII version of the car had been built with new modifications including a longer and sharper front end in order to accommodate for the 7.0Liter FE engine being used. In 1966 there were 3 teams racing the MKII in the Le Mans race and dominated. The 3 cars faced 1st, 2nd and 3rd, taking European audiences by surprise and beating Ferrari. The Ford GT40 would go on to win the race for the next 3 years.

The MKIII was a road car only and only 7 were built. it had a 4.7L engine with 306hp. The shift lever was moved from where it was in the MKIII and an ash tray was added. Of the 7 that were produced, 4 of them were left-hand drive.

There were subsequent models built including the J-car which aimed to improve the aerodynamics of the car and make it faster, the MKIV , which hit a top speed of 212mph, the MKV and the Ford GT(2OO5).

Ford GT originally started as a concept car but Ford eventually announced a limited production run on the car. the car was produced in 2004 and eventually released in 2005 at a price of $140,000. The demand outpaced the production and in the first year there were several instances where the car was sold privately for upwards of $ 240,000. The car pays homage to the 1964 GT40.

Ford Gt40 collection was used to win the 1966-1969 Le Mans races. This incredible racing machine revolutionized racing and proved that American automakers could compete internationally. 4.7-liter V-8 engine with 390hp at roughly 6000 to 7000rpm. this car is an absolute beast and proved it over and over again in the ladder half of the 1960s.