Alan Mann Racing
SPA 1000 KM 1966
Ford GT40 MkII P/1012 — The Brutal Ardennes Endurance Campaign
May 1966
Deployed on the fast and dangerous Belgian circuit, the Ford GT40 P/1012 entered at Spa in 1966 in Le Mans specification served as a final test before… Le Mans. Loaned by Shelby American to Alan Mann Racing, the P/1012 enabled the Alan Mann team to gain a better understanding of the car, as it was due to field its two MKII lightweight versions (XGT1 and XGT2) at Le Mans.
Drivers: Frank Gardner & Peter Whitmore | Configuration: MkII 7.0L FE V8
The Ardennes Campaign
Objective: To provide Alan Mann Racing, supported by Shelby American, with essential monitoring data and set-up parameters to adapt to the powerful MKII under racing conditions.
This programme aimed to optimise the durability of the GT40 MkII’s transmission, in its ‘Le Mans 1966’ configuration, over several hundred miles. Entered as a works car, P/1012 took its place on the starting grid with race number 4. It finished 2nd at the end of the 1,000 km of Spa in 1966… without any reliability issues.
The Racing Strategy
Chassis P/1012 (#4) in motion on track during official event trials.
With Shelby American’s approval, Alan Mann modified the front suspension mounting points to create anti-dive and thus stabilise the car under braking. P/1012 is the only GT40 MKII chassis to feature this modification (which is still visible today).
The mechanical design of the chassis focused primarily on torsional rigidity and power transmission. Suspension travel and tyre pressures were precisely calibrated to allow the 7-litre engine to safely deliver its torque when exiting long, dangerous corners, without destabilising the monocoque structure.
The Podium Result
The flawless execution of the long-distance race strategy delivered a superior demonstration of vehicle stamina and complete mechanical reliability.
The relentless endurance run culminated in an exceptional milestone for the vehicle's competitive timeline. By locking in a stellar GT40 MkII Spa result, the chassis affirmed its versatility on Europe's most challenging circuit layouts and cemented its status as one of Ford's most reliable active assets.
PERIOD PHOTOGRAPHS
"The performance across the roads of Spa proved that the 7-litre package was not merely an oval speedway specialist, but a universally dominant endurance tool engineered for the world's most demanding circuits." — European Racing Archive Records
Archival Racing Log
"The race entry, factory loan logs, and specialized timing files recorded under Alan Mann Racing at Spa-Francorchamps provide a distinct, ironclad historical signature that perfectly maps the continuous line of this original chassis structure."
— Historical Registry Audit & Documentation Profile
Successful completion of the premier Belgian 1000km endurance event with zero mechanical flaws. The vehicle demonstrated complete structural and thermodynamic stability across the entire race distance, yielding irreplaceable technical readouts that finalized the factory setup choices.
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