"Ford GT40 tells the history of Ford's historic racing program of the mid-twentieth century that challenged "real" racers and established a racing dynasty for the American manufacturer"--

This sumptuous book tells the story of one of the world’s most important racing cars. 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.

Official Shelby American team photographer, Dave Friedman, presents rare color photos that chronicle the entire unknown story of the development, production, and racing of Carroll Shelby's famous Ford GT40. From Shelby's California shop and early test sessions to the victory stand at Le Mans, it's all here in historical photographs and the words of race legends such as Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLa ren, A.J. Foyt, Bob Bondurant, Mario Andretti, Chris Amon, Carroll Smith and more. You did a hell of a job with this book, Carroll Shelby. I loved it, - Carroll Smith.

Starting in 1956 when Ford officially entered motor racing, this book takes the reader on a journey of how and why things happened the way they did. Who were the personalities behind the all the different Ford GT development programs, old and new.

After Ford unsuccessfully attempted to buy Ferrari, in 1963, the American car giant instead embarked on its own racing programme in a bid to beat the famous Italian marque at the world’s most prestigious race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, as told in the forthcoming Hollywood movie Ford v. Ferrari. This updated edition of The Ford that Beat Ferrari tells the story of how that mission was eventually accomplished. Development of the GT40: how the prototype Ford GT emerged in 1964 from the previous year’s Lola GT programme. The works teams and the GT40: the car’s racing exploits in its earlier years, first with Ford Advanced Vehicles (1964), then Shelby American (1965) and Alan Mann Racing (1966). The big ones: this section of the book covers the GT40’s evolution into the 7-litre monsters that brought enormous success, including the first two Le Mans victories with the Mark II (1966) and Mark IV (1967), before becoming outlawed by new restrictions on engine size. The Gulf years: against all expectations, the venerable GT40, now back to 5-litre power, raced on with John Wyer’s crack JW Automotive Engineering outfit in the iconic blue and orange colours of Gulf, successes including two further Le Mans wins (1968 and 1969). The production line racer: the stories of the 68 privateers, big and small, who raced GT40s. Chassis and drivers: a data section giving resumés of type designations, chassis histories and all drivers who raced GT40s. The magic lives on: the book’s concluding sections show surviving cars at differing stages in their later life and bring the story up to date with developments since the 2005 edition.

In the 1960's very little science and engineering had been applied to the art of motor racing. As a result, there was no general agreement about the best technical approach to generating speed on a road racing track. Each car maker viewed the problem through the lenses of their own history and capabilities. The cars on the starting grid demonstrated how varied these histories were. When Ford first assaulted Le Mans in 1964, the company followed a similarly casual approach by initially purchasing a race car design from the English firm Lola. This car's numerous shortcomings soon led Ford to apply its considerable engineering and developmental resources to the project, and the result was the one-two-three finish in 1966. First place finishes followed in 1967, 1968 and 1969. It is the fabulous victories by Ford in the 1960's that inspired the new 2005 Ford GT. Based on a concept car the new production car embodies the characteristic proportions and styling elements of the original GT. Under its skin, however, it has little in common with the original other than its mid-engine layout. The 2005 Ford GT must function as a street car, with a climate control system, moderate interior noise levels, a reasonable ride, and the ability to operate in extremes of hot and cold. The seven original SAE papers from the 1960's contained in this book provide a wonderful insight into the development of the original Ford GT, during what many consider to be the technically most interesting period of sports car racing. The 11 SAE papers about the new GT included in this volume explain how Ford engineers managed to meet numerous modern-day requirements while staying true to the sprit of the original.