Ford GT40 MKII P/1012
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FORD was the second US manufacturer and thus the second manufacturer in the World. Ford wanted to conquer the European market, and become one of the leaders there. In that period of time, the way to get more fame was going motor racing. And Ford thus decided to win the greatest race in the world : the 24 hours of Le Mans. That was as simple as that !
After some tortuous adventure detailed further (Ferrari, Lola), Ford decided to create his own race car. This would be the FORD GT40, designed in UK by pure racers ... Success was not easy, but Henri Ford saw in Carroll Shelby the man to hand over the whole project to. He had a lot of knowledge in racing (Le Mans winner), was already a commercial partner (AC Cobra), and had shown great success with his racing team.
Shelby knew the details and specific features of the Le Mans circuit with its 7 Km long straight, that is why he decided
to swap the 289ci small block engine for a 427ci big block, in order to get the power and torque required to win, while also saving the reliability of the engine. In 1965, the two prototypes N.106 and 107 were entered in the 24 hours of Le Mans race. They were quick but lacked the mandatory reliability. Their performance was nevertheless considered promising.
A series of eight cars was ordered, and the Shelby Team was ready for the beginning of the 1966 season for the Daytona 24 hours. These three years of efforts were finally crowned with a hat trick of the MKII at Daytona. Shelby confirmed at the Sebring 12 hours with a GT40 hat trick this time (Two MKII and a MKI).
And finally the long awaited victory, the one that Ford wanted more than anything else to erase the bad memories with Ferrari and make of Ford one of the world’s most important car manufacturer, arrived on the 19th of June 1966 with an historical hat trick at the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Ferrari was crushed. Ford had won the world’s three major endurance races and won the 24 hours of Le Mans the best way possible.
Shelby was a national hero, but Ford still pushed to carry on. Shelby then designed a honeycomb chassis in which he used the mechanical components of the MKII. The Ford J, which evolved in the MKIV would also win the 24 hours of Le Mans before a rule change that forced these monsters into retirement for the 1968 season.
Ford retired from the world championship, having achieve all its goals, and more. But this was not the end of the road for the GT40. The legacy was created.