Ford GT 40 and GT: Books - History, Models and Construction

Ford GT : How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans

Henry Ford II, "the Deuce," wanted a race car capable of winning top-flight sports car events in Europe. Specifically, he wanted to win Le Mans.
Ford learned that Enzo Ferrari would consider selling his company and negotiations quickly ensued. But after Ford spent considerable time and money reviewing Ferrari's operations and negotiating with Enzo, Ferrari abruptly backed out of the talks.

The Deuce took Ferrari's actions as a personal insult. Word was sent down from on high: beat Ferrari. Ford settled on UK-based Eric Broadley's Lola GT, a cutting-edge car that featured a mid-engine chassis and small-block Ford V-8 power. The Lola GT would morph into the Ford GT.
Carroll Shelby helped shape it into the "Mark II" GT40. The result was one of the most legendary wins in racing history: Ford's 1-2-3 sweep of Le Mans in 1966. In fact, GTs went on to win Le Mans each year through 1969.

"Ford GT" celebrates the 50th anniversaries of Ford's iconic victories, providing the detailed back story leading to that historic 1966 win, as well as Ford's follow-up win in 1967.
The GT40's last two competitive seasons in 1968 and 1969 are also covered, as well as Ford's triumphant return to Le Mans in 2016 for a complete review of this remarkable era in racing.

Author Preston Lerner details the ups and downs of Ford's GT program, accompanied by Shelby American photographer Dave Friedman's historic images. Come re-live one of the most exciting stories in all of racing history!

GT40

The GT40 was one of the finest racing automobiles ever built, a supreme effort on the part of Ford Motor Company. Featured is the GT40, Mk. I - Mk. IV, from design to construction, in both racing & street clothes.

Pictured are the cars of such racing greats as Bob Bondurant, Phil Hill, Masten Gregory, Ritchie Ginther, Rob Walker, Bruce McLaren, Peter Reveson, Dan Gurney, Denis Hulme, and Mark Donahue at venues that include Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring.
In his foreword, Bob Bondurant, world racing champion, reminisces about his days behind the wheel of the GT40.

Ford GT40 Mark II : The remarkable history of 1016

This book tells the story of Ford GT40 Mark II, chassis no. P/1016, one of the trio of cars that crossed the finishing line together at Le Mans in 1966 to score Ford's first victory in the 24 Hour race.
The Mark II was a development of the original Ford GT with a monstrous 7 litre V8 engine. 1016 made its racing debut at Daytona in January 1966 and was entered at Le Mans by Holman & Moody with a distinctive gold and pink colour scheme.
Driven by Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson, it finished in third place behind the similar cars of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon and Ken Miles and Denny Hulme.

- The drivers at 1966 Daytona 24 Hours, Ronnie Bucknum and Richie Ginther, had played a big part in the development of the Mark II, the car that gave Ford its first Le Mans win in the third year of trying.
- Bucknum also drove the car in the Sebring 12 Hours (with AJ Foyt) and at Le Mans (with Dick Hutcherson). It ran at Daytona the following year driven by Mark Donohue and Peter Revson and at the Le Mans Test Weekend with Bruce McLaren and Mark Donohue driving.
- After the Le Mans tests, 1016 was retired from racing and became a star exhibit at the famous Harrah Motor Museum in Reno, Nevada. It is now in the fine collection of Claude Nahum, restored to its specification and appearance as it was at Le Mans 1966.

This book covers the car's development, its technical details and specification, the role of the Holman & Moody engineering team and biographies of its drivers. It is profusely illustrated with period photographs, documents, and a gallery of studio photographs of the car as it is today.

Ford GT40 - The autobiography of 1075

Always raced in Gulf's iconic blue-and-orange colours, this Ford GT40, known by its chassis number '1075', won the Le Mans 24 Hours not just once but twice, in 1968 and 1969, and the second victory came after the closest fight ever seen at the finish of this great endurance race.
Four other championship wins - at Brands Hatch, Spa, Watkins Glen and Sebring - add to this GT40's distinction as the very best of its breed, driven by 'greats' such as Jacky Ickx, Pedro Rodríguez and Brian Redman.

The car's entire competition life is covered in fascinating detail, together with biographies of its drivers and insights into John Wyer's crack team that ran it, all supported by a fine collection of period photographs.

Key content:

- Early in 1968, after two non-finishes in Florida, at Daytona and Sebring, Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman overcame Porsche's challenge in the six-hour BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch.
- At the Spa 1,000Km in Belgium, torrential rain allowed Ickx to demonstrate his wet-weather mastery on his home circuit and take a second win for '1075', ably supported by Redman.
- Back in the USA, with Ickx now partnered by fellow Belgian Lucien Bianchi, Watkins Glen brought a third win amid controversy about team orders.
- With Ickx sidelined by injury, Mexican ace Pedro Rodríguez was drafted in to join Bianchi at Le Mans - and they won comfortably after Porsche's four-car works challenge collapsed.
- The second of three outings in 1969 saw a return to the Sebring 12 Hours and an unexpected success for Ickx and Jackie Oliver against formidable new opposition from Porsche, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari.
- And so to Le Mans again: in this old warhorse's final race Ickx and Oliver again achieved the unexpected by putting themselves in strong contention for victory - but it was only decided on the last lap.

Ford GT - A la conquête du Mans

Ford GT40 célèbre le cinquantième anniversaire de cette emblématique victoire de Ford, fournissant l'historique détaillé des événements qui menèrent à cette victoire, ainsi qu'à celle qui suivit en 1967.
Les deux dernières saisons de la GT40 en compétition, en 1968 et 1969, sont également traitées pour donner une vue d'ensemble de cette remarquable épopée.

L'auteur, Preston Lerner, raconte les hauts et les bas du programme compétition de Ford, illustré par les images d'époque du photographe de Shelby American, Dave Friedman.
Revivez l'une des plus excitantes pages de l'histoire de la compétition ! Les dernières pages apportent un clin d'oeil au nouveau modèle qui participera aux prochaines 24H du Mans...

Ford GT - Wie Ford die Kritiker zum Schweigen brachte, Ferrari demütigte und Le Mans eroberte

Die gesamte Geschichte des Ford GT - von den Anfängen zu den Siegen in Le Mans. Das Buch zum 50-jährigen Jubiläum der letzten Rennsaison des legendärsten aller Rennwagen: Ein Traumauto, in das im Grunde niemand passte. Moderne Varianten sind größer, bequemer, schwerer geworden.
Der originale Ford GT40 hat seine Größe dagegen in seinen Erfolgen: 1966, 1967, 1968 und 1969 Sieger in Le Mans, entgegen jeder Erwartung und trotz des Erfahrungsvorsprungs bei Ferrari und Co.

Erfahren Sie die gesamte Geschichte dieses bahnbrechenden Erfolges, vom rebellischen Henry Ford II, der, über Ferrari verärgert, seinen Konstrukteuren nur eine Aufgabe gestellt hat: "Gewinnt Le Mans, demütigt Ferrari Kosten spielen keine Rolle".
Mit historischen Fotografien von Dave Friedman, dem offiziellen Fotografen von Shelby American.