For our third blog we wanted to discuss a car steeped in history and why not use one of the best endurance cars to date, which won the 24 hours of Le Mans three years in a row. The Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic and successful racing cars of all time and we will discuss it in all its glory in this blog.
THE DESIGN
The Ford GT40 was built to take on Ferrari in endurance racing after Enzo Ferrari refused a deal with the American company to sell his business. Ford came back with a vengeance, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three years in a row, from 1966 to 1969. The GT40 was designed by a team led by Eric Broadley of Lola Cars. It was a mid-engine car with a lightweight aluminium body and a powerful Ford V8 engine. It was also very aerodynamic, with a Kamm tail that helped it to slice through the air. It made its racing debut in 1964, and it quickly proved to be a formidable opponent.
RACE HISTORY
The Ford GT40 won its first race at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1965, and it went on to finish second at Le Mans that year. In 1966, the GT40 finally achieved its goal of winning Le Mans, shown recently in the Ford V Ferrari film staring Christian Bale and Matt Damon. The team of Ken Miles, Bruce McLaren, and Dan Gurney took the checkered flag, and Ford swept the podium with the second-place car driven by Ronnie Bucknum and Phil Hill. It later repeated its victory at Le Mans in 1967 and 1968, and it also won the World Sportscar Championship in both years. The car's dominance in endurance racing helped to restore Ford's reputation as a manufacturer of sports cars, and it also made the GT40 one of the most sought-after classic cars in the world. Only 124 Ford GT40s were ever made, and they are now worth millions of pounds. The car is still popular with collectors and racing enthusiasts, and it continues to be a symbol of Ford's engineering prowess and racing success.
SAM’S BUILD
Sam’s MK1 GT40 SGT was built by himself over the period of five years and was brought to our Sunday meet at Longridge, turning a lot of heads with its striking Gulf livery. It is based off chassis number 1076 which was raced by David Hobbs and Mike Hailwood in 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1969. While the car had the pace to win unfortunately it had mechanical issues causing a loss of time and the car finishing 3rd while its sister car came home to win the race. The chassis of the car is from Southern GT, using a 5 speed right hand gear change and containing a Ford 347 stroker engine which gets 400BHP. While only weighing 970kg with the dual fuel tanks full, you won’t see him hanging around in a rush!
The Ford GT40 is a car that has achieved legendary status, and it's sure to continue to be one of the most popular endurance cars for many years to come.
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