Top 10 Things You Need To Know About The Ford GT40

The beef between Lamborghini and Ferrari is iconic. After all, it has resulted in the production of a few of the most famous sports cars from the 20th century. However, there was one more skirmish that did not get as much attention as it should.

The feud between Ford and Ferrari. This bloody battle to win and replace the Ferrari from the top position in the 24 Hours Le Mans allowed the birth of the Ford GT40. A fierce beast with a roaring V8 engine and heavenly looks that is the Ford GT40.

10. Reasons you should not get a GT40

There is none. No seriously. Why would you want to miss out on a car that made Ferrari kneel? It is the endurance racing machine that still makes enthusiasts chant its name with respect. The GT40 is an automobile that is the envy of every single Ford admirer.

1968 Ford GT40 MK1 - Source: Wikimedia Commons

Fine, we get it. It is priced at millions and you will probably never be able to finance the GT40 but hey! It is a car with a comparable legacy to Dolly Pardon’s Jolene song. Hence, it is fine you can not buy it but there is no reason you should push this car away in any aspect.

9. History is messier than GOT Red Wedding

Ford Vs Ferrari, is a feud that is more spine-chilling to endurance racing enthusiasts than the Red Wedding episode from Game of Thrones. Well, here is a quick sum. Ford wanted Ferrari out of the Indianapolis 500 after it had acquired Ferrari factory assets through a deal but Ferrari wanted to be the supreme in charge of its motorsports division. Then what happens? Ferrari simply said “No” to Ford and rejected the buyout deal of its factory to Ford.

24 Hours of LeMans, LeMans, France, 1965.
Ken Miles/Bruce McLaren Ford Mark II prototype - Source: Ford Media

In return, the head of Ford, Henry Ford II asked its racing team to make a car that would wipe the Endurance Racing track with Ferrari. Over this feud, a film titled “Ford v Ferrari” was produced in 2019 that earned $225.5 million at the box office. It starred Matton Damon as Caroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles.

8. Not made in America?

No matter how much Americans want to feel that the Ford GT40 made “America Great Once”, they can’t. Here is a simple breakdown. The GT40 was based on the Lola Mk6 GT, a high-performance car by Lola Cars, a British automaker.

1964 Racing Le Mans GT40 - Source: Ford Media

The Ford GT40’s Americaness came from its heart, the V8 engine that was made in the US, its association with the Ford company, the contribution from the Shelby division, and of course, The Caroll Shelby himself. Otherwise, the GT40 was birthed and visualized in Slough, UK, and at first, it was driven by drivers from Britain and New Zealand.

7. Races that made the GT40 a legend

It was an act of war between two automotive goliaths to determine who would come out as the dominant force in endurance racing and Ford proved itself as a winner. Well, at least in some races with numerous crashes and the notable death of Bob McLean. That said, from 1960 to 1965, the Ford GT40 won all 24 Hours of Le Mans races.

1964 GT40s Entered in 24 hours of Le Mans - Source: Ford Media

Furthermore, Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren drove the GT40 at the 1965 Sebring 12-hour race and came second overall. However, the GT40’s wheels first touched the race track at the 1964 Nürburgring 621-mile race. Meanwhile, the Ford GT40 also won at Nascar’s 1965 Daytona 1,242-mile race.

6. What powered the Ford GT40?

The Ford GT40 Mk I model had a 4.2L or 289 cubic-inch V8 engine which made 335 horsepower. The GT40 also features a 4.7L or 289 cubic inches V8 engine which produced up to 400 horsepower. Meanwhile, a 4.9L or 302 cubic inches V8 engine was also hidden under the hood of some Ford GT40s and it supplied 425 horsepower. However, the main star behind the GT40’s success was the 7.0L or 427 cubic inches V8 engine that made 485 horsepower in the Le Mans race.

1968 Ford GT40 Mark3 Red - Source: Wikimedia Commons

The same engine used in NASCAR put out 520 horsepower. That said, the Ford GT40 Mk I and Mk III models had a 5-speed manual transmission, while the Ford GT40 Mk II and Mk IV came with a 4-speed manual transmission.

5. Ford GT40 Design and iterations

The Ford GT40 was produced in only coupe and roadster/convertible body styles. Initially, 5 prototypes with the GT40 Mk I tags were made with a convertible body. The same Mk I iterations were also modified by John Wyer (English automobile racing engineer and team manager), which resulted in the 1969 Sebring victory. The next in line was the Ford GT40 Mk II. The Shelby American and Holman Moody were separately tasked to bring Mk II to life. The Holman Moody revised the GT40 so that it could fit the 7.0L V8 engine. Furthermore, the Ford GT40 Mk II was able to defeat Ferrari in the 1966 Le Mans with 1-2-3 in the final standings.

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype - Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Ford GT40 Mk III was the road-legal version which came with a detuned 4.7L V8 engine and it made only 306 horsepower. Meanwhile, the GT40 also had a J-car version which was built to make the GT40 more aerodynamic without touching its powertrain. It had a new chassis compared to the Mk I and Mk II and the J-car only weighed 2,660 lbs. It finally made its debut in the 1966 FIA. Moreover, the Mk IV was built with the J-car as its foundation.

Despite its limited participation, the Ford GT40 Mk IV managed to win both the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans races. Lastly, JW Engineering was responsible for building the final Ford GT40 Mk V. Having said that numerous replicas or modified versions of the GT40 such as the GT40/R Competition have been built over the years.

4. Who has driven the Ford GT40?

Ford GT40 at Le Mans 1965, driven by Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren - Source: Ford Media

The Ford GT40 has been driven by several legendary race car drivers such as Carroll Shelby, Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, and of course Ken Miles. Some other names include Jim Clark, Ronnie Bucknum, and Lloyd Ruby.

3. A rare find and a heart-bleeding price

In total, 105 units of the Ford GT40 were produced. 12 of them were the GT40 Prototypes whereas only 5 had the convertible body style. Only 31 Mk I road cars were built and 8 GT40 MK II models came to life. Meanwhile, the Ford GT40 Mk III had only 7 examples. These figures easily tell that the Ford GT40 is one of the rare cars from the 20th century but what about its price tag or auction value?

1965-Ford-GT40-Mark-I - Source: Wikimedia Commons

Well, the average auction price tag of the Ford GT40 produced from 1964 to 1969 is $5.8 million. Furthermore, the 1968 Ford GT40 is the most expensive GT40 ever sold at an auction. The deal got sealed at a whopping $11 million. Furthermore, one 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II had gotten a final bid of $9.7 million in 2018.

Meanwhile, a 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype was auctioned for $7.6 million. Moreover, a 1966 Ford GT40 "P/1061" from the Jim Click Ford Performance Collection has been up for auction. Finally, the 1966 Superformance Ford GT40 MkII which is from Ford Vs Ferrari (2019) is also listed on the Mecum Auction.

2. Famous owners

James Martin, a celebrity chef from Britain known for his extensive car collection has one Ford GT40 Mk II in his possession. Furthermore, an American businessman and owner of RK Motors, Rob Kauffman has a black 1966 Ford GT40 Mk. II P/1046.

1966 Ford GT40 "P/1061" - Source: RM Sotheby's

That said, many Ford GT40s have been passed from one famous collector to another. One notable name includes Peter Livanos of Greenwich.

1. Biological child, Ford GT

There were some successors of the Ford GT40. First, the Ford GT90 made its public appearance as a concept car in 1995. Later, the modern and all-new Ford GT40 Concept car was unveiled at the 2002 North American International Auto Show. However, the Ford GT is the only successor of the GT40 which is continuing its legacy as a supercar. That said, the first generation of the Ford GT was produced from 2004 to 2006. The second generation was introduced in 2017 and lasted till 2022.

Ford GT90 From Goodwood Festival of Speed 2008 - Source: Wikimedia Commons

Having said that, since the launch of the Ford GT, it has been sold to selected buyers. Some accepted buyers include Jay Leno, deadmau5, C.J. Wilson, John Hennessey, John Cena, and Amy MacDonald. Meanwhile, some rejected buyers are Rob Ferretti, Classic Car Club Manhattan, and others.