Ford GT40

Lore & Background

The GT40 effort began in Britain in the early 1960s when Ford Advanced Vehicles began building the Mk I, based on the British Lola Mk6, in Slough, UK. All chassis versions were powered by a series of American-built Ford V8 OHV engines modified for racing. Henry Ford II had wanted a Ford at Le Mans since the early 1960s. After failed negotiations to buy Ferrari, Ford directed its racing division to find a company that could build a Ferrari-beater. The Lola proposal was chosen, and Ford hired ex-Aston Martin team manager John Wyer and engineer Roy Lunn. The purchase price for competition use was £5,200. In 1966, the GT40 Mk II broke Ferrari's winning streak at Le Mans, with three cars crossing the finish line together.

Reader's Guide

The car's name—GT for grand touring, 40 for its height in inches—reflects its design constraints.

Did You Know?

• The '40' in GT40 refers to the car's height in inches (1.02 m) measured at the top of the windscreen, the minimum allowed.
• The purchase price of the completed car for competition use was £5,200.

The Ferrari Deal That Never Was

Long before the GT40 ever touched a racetrack, its existence was born from a bitter personal grudge. In the early 1960s, Henry Ford II harbored a deep desire to see a Ford badge on the Le Mans podium. Ford poured several million dollars into factory audits and legal negotiations, only for Ferrari to abruptly sever talks at the eleventh hour. Enraged by what he perceived as a slight, Enzo walked away out of pure spite. Ford II, equally furious, turned to his racing division with a single, burning directive: build a car that could outlast and outpace Ferrari on the world's grand-touring endurance circuit. The GT40 was the answer.

From Bromley to Dearborn

The GT40's engineering DNA was stitched together across two continents. Lola owner Eric Broadley agreed to a one-year personal collaboration and sold Ford two Mk6 chassis, while Ford brought in ex-Aston Martin team manager John Wyer and engineer Roy Lunn—who had previously designed the mid-engined Mustang I concept—to form the core development crew under Harley Copp's oversight. The team initially worked at the Lola factory in Bromley before relocating to Slough, near Heathrow, where Ford spun off a dedicated subsidiary, Ford Advanced Vehicles.

The Only All-American Le Mans and the Gulf Aftermath

The Mk IV prototype—chassis and engine both Ford-built—was driven by Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt for Shelby-American Inc., on Goodyear tires, making every single component of the winning entry American. The very success of those 7-litre V8 prototypes, however, triggered a regulatory backlash.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

Some believe the GT40 was entirely an American car, built in the United States from the ground up. In fact, while the company was American, the car was designed and initially built in Slough, UK, based on the British Lola Mk6. Another misconception is that the "40" in the name refers to the car's top speed or engine displacement; it actually refers to the car's height in inches (1.02 m) at the top of the windscreen.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

The Ford GT40 endures as a symbol of industrial ambition and engineering rivalry, proving that a corporate giant could outmaneuver a legendary Italian icon on its own turf. Its story — from a failed Ferrari buyout to a triumphant 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans — continues to captivate because it represents the moment raw American power and British design refinement conquered the most prestigious race in the world.