It is probably no coincidence that some of the most
astonishing cars have been created as a result of personal vendettas. The Ford
GT40 is a perfect example, as the racecar was
developed mostly out ofFord’s spite
toward Ferrari, the
only carmaker that had had the audacity to make a fool out of Henry Ford II. RKMotors Charlotte recently put together
the first episode of an upcoming series that tries to tell the story behind the
GT40 that won Le Mans in 1966 — the car’s raison d’être.
Henry Ford II had become infatuated with the Le Mans 24 Hours race in
the early ’60s, pledging to either win the endurance event or buy a carmaker
that was able to do it for him. After having received word that Ferrari was
willing to sell its road-going cars division, Ford invested a large amount of
money in auditing Ferrari’s factory assets and negotiating the sale.
Surprisingly, after a few short weeks, "Il Commendatore" broke off
all talks with the American carmaker, after learning that Ford wouldn’t allow
Scuderia Ferrari to race at the Indy 500 after the sale was completed, despite
Enzo remaining the owner of the motorsport division.
This angered Henry Ford II so much that he decided to create
a car that would beat Ferrari fair and square at the Le Mans 24 Hours. With the
help of a chassis built by Lola and development entrusted to Carroll Shelby ,
the Ford GT 40 managed to not only beat Ferrari, but also
dominate Le Mans in four consecutive years. The video above discusses the history
behind the famed endurance racer and American icon, and subsequent chapters
will document the restoration itself. Stay tuned!
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/rk-motors-revives-the-1966-le-mans-winning-ford-gt40-video-ar168342.html
by Alex Oagana
http://www.fzrestoration.com
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