Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Iconic GT4
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the Ford GT40, a legendary car whose historic wins solidified Ford and Carroll Shelby as forces to be reckoned with on the racetrack. The GT40 is an icon whose legacy includes being the first American car to ever win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fueled by a desire to create a powerful race contender — and to defeat Ferrari — Carroll Shelby’s vision birthed the Ford GT40.
The Birth of a Legend: Origins of the GT40
In the early 1960s, Ford formed the High Performance and Special Models Operation Unit to work with racers who would build cars capable of competing in the most elite races of the time, including Sebring and Le Mans. At the helm of the team were Ford’s Roy Lunn, engineer Eric Broadley, and race manager John Wyer.
Ferrari Rivalries Fuel Innovation
Prior to this, there had been brief negotiations in 1963 between Ford and Ferrari regarding a possible collaboration. According to Ford.com, “Ford Motor Company and Ferrari wish to indicate, with reference to recent reports of their negotiations toward a possible collaboration, that such negotiations have been suspended by mutual agreement.”
Ford was driven by their goal to beat the unbeatable Ferrari at Le Mans.
Early Developmental Stages
Ford struggled to make the car successful on the track and so it turned to Shelby American for their help. Carroll Shelby and his team were known for many things — innovation, pushing boundaries, historic racing success — but amongst these achievements was their ability to achieve the seemingly impossible in a short amount of time. What took other teams and companies years to perfect, Shelby made possible in months. The final design and build of the GT40 was executed over the course of ten months. This, of course, did not come without a few issues and setbacks along the way.
The car was originally named the “Ford GT” until Roy Lunn lowered the original Lola design to a staggering 40 inches. The car’s first time trials at Le Mans that year showed incredible speed potential but troubling aerodynamics, endurance, and handling. This led to the team adding a spoiler and heading into the 1964 season.
Unfortunately, the Ford GT40’s 1964 racing season revealed more developmental issues. At the Nürburgring race, the car’s suspension came loose. After 12 hours out of the 24 hours at Le Mans, the car’s Colotti gearboxes gave out under the strain of the speed and number of shifts required to complete the loop.
These hurdles could not stop Shelby and his team, however. They continued to improve the GT40 and transformed it into a Le Mans-winning machine.
Engineering Marvels and Design: GT40 Performance
When the final design was complete, the GT40 boasted lightweight fiberglass instead of the original heavy aluminum and steel, wider magnesium wheels, a 7-liter 427 cubic inch engine, and aerodynamic integrity that led to higher speeds and better handling despite the massive engine. Lunn, Remington, Broadley, and Miles worked diligently to refine the car’s design and performance every step of the way. From testing aerodynamics with a Ford Aeroneutronics computer and the old-school way — with yarn taped to the cars on both the track and in the Dearborn wind tunnel — to adding and modifying spoilers, their hard work paid off.
Ken Miles tested the final iteration of the car on the Romeo test track in Dearborn and, upon hitting 210 mph, said, “That is the car I want to drive at Le Mans this year.”
The GT40’s first race of the 1965 season was a doozy. During the Daytona endurance race, the GT40s clenched first and third place. A Shelby Cobra running a Ford engine took second place, making Daytona an epic Ford takeover. This was the first GT40 to win at the Daytona 2000 km Continental. The season continued victoriously as the car and its legendary drivers — Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren — came in 2nd place at Sebring and 3rd place at Monza.
Triumph at Le Mans: The Historic 1-2-3 Finish in 1966
Fords were historically fast cars, but their one shortcoming was their inability to complete the endurance race. That stat was quickly erased during the historic 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. During the earlier hours of Le Mans, notorious rivals Ford and Ferrari were neck and neck for much of the race.
Around midnight, the Fords revved steadily and held the 1-2-3-5-8 spots as the Ferraris started to experience mechanical setbacks. By 4 am, all Ferraris were officially out of the race. According to Ford.com, the strategy for the remainder of the race went as follows:
“The order went out for the teams to slow the pace to ensure the most cars could complete the race. The drivers slowed from the early pace of 3:30 per lap to a more strategic 3:50 per lap. Dan Gurney was in the lead most of the evening, with the Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren teams trading 2nd and 3rd place depending upon their pit stop order. When Gurney’s car went out with engine problems around 10:00 AM, Ford still had the first three places between the Shelby American and Holman Moody teams.
With two hours left in the race, Leo Beebe and Carroll Shelby met to discuss the end of the race. With the Ford cars running 1-2-3, there was little question as to winning the race, but what order should the finish take? The team also discussed having the cars come across in a tie and inquired of the ACO (Le Mans race organizing committee) if that was permitted. The ACO agreed that this was possible and so the drivers (at this time Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren) were told the news at their next pit stop. While neither was thrilled with the decision, both acquiesced with Ken Miles saying, “I work for the Ford Motor Company… if they want me to win the race, why, I’ll do it… and if they ask me to jump in a lake, why I’ll guess I will have to do that as well.” During the final lap, the three Ford cars rode in tandem with Miles and McLaren, crossing the finish line in a dead heat with Hutcherson close behind in 3rd place.”
This historic win led to the Ford Motor Company's award of the Manufacturer Championship. The GT40 continued its legendary trajectory by securing victories in the Sports 50 and the 1967, 1968, and 1969 Le Mans races.
The Lasting Impact of the GT40
It takes more than a big idea to achieve the impossible. The GT40 became an iconic car in motorsports and automotive history through three years of hard work, dedication, research, engineering, and teamwork. Building a new type of race car isn’t the last of the puzzle, however, without building the right team, history would not have been made.
The GT40’s innovation in engineering and design went on to influence race car designs and engineering practices across the automotive industry and the globe. 60 years later, the GT40 has continued to inspire and influence modern supercars, leaving a lasting impact on motorsports.
Over the last 60 years, the GT40 has been immortalized in films, media, and automotive culture. Some notable movies that feature the GT40 include:
- Ford V Ferrari
- This Time Tomorrow (A film made by Ford during the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans)
- Shelby Goes Racing With Ford
- Never Start Something You Can’t Stop
Celebrating 60 Years of the GT40
This year, the 60th anniversary of the Ford GT40 is being widely celebrated. In July 2024, there was a 60th reunion at the PVGP, including an unveiling of a special GT40 by Superformance and Safir.
The Shelby Store makes it possible for everyone to honor the GT40’s legendary 60 years of innovation and historic wins with a collection of memorabilia, apparel, accessories, and collectibles. Check out our GT40 Memorabilia and rep your love for this iconic car in style!
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