{"id":33593,"date":"2013-10-10T14:08:27","date_gmt":"2013-10-10T13:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.influx.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=33593"},"modified":"2022-12-12T12:13:41","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T12:13:41","slug":"ford-gt40-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adrianflux.co.uk\/influx\/features\/ford-gt40-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Ford GT40: The History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words: Neil Siner<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Born of American rage and brought up with love in the South of England, the Ford GT40 was the beautiful child of a boardroom bust up between two motor manufacturing giants. <\/strong><\/p>\n

When Enzo Ferrari did a last minute U-turn in the 1962 buyout of his company, an incensed Henry Ford II called together his top boys and laid it down straight. They were, at any cost, to produce a car that would break the grip of the Ferraris on the world\u2019s greatest endurance race. They were to win at Le Mans and thereby hoist a middle finger at the commendatore<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"GT40_History-1<\/a> This 1966 GT40 MK11 placed 3rd in the famous 123 finish by Ford at Le Mans 1966<\/strong>. Photo: John Isaac @ Goodwood Revival 2013<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Now Ford had well established drag and stock car teams but had no experience with long distance prototype racing, which was an exclusively European game. Enzo on the other hand was a seasoned pro in the field, with seven Le Mans wins under his stylish belt. So with no home based talent and the top continental Europeans already committed, the Ford execs turned to England for design and engineering knowledge \u2013 in the form of Lola designer Eric Broadly and Ex Aston engineer Roy Lunn. Their centre of operations was in Bromley, Kent. It was the middle of 1963. The team had less than 10 months before Le Mans \u201864.<\/p>\n