The 1960s were exciting times for the Ford Motor Company.
Fuel prices were low which meant good sales, the iconic Ford Mustang was
introduced in 1964 and Ford became a force to be reckoned with in the world of
car racing. Ford has historically been known as a world-class car manufacturer
of mass-market cars and SUVs. In 1966 Ford changed this with the introduction
of the legendary Ford GT40. What made the Ford GT40 so
successful? We are going to tell you all about this brilliant car! Here goes
the story…
At the beginning of the 1960s, Ford had already been
established as the brand synonymous with making very good mass-market cars. Ford at
the time was not known for its performance cars, race program. Ford was very
keen on making a mark in the world of car racing. On receiving word that
Italian powerhouse Ferrari was looking to sell, Ford initiated a conversation
with Ferrari to acquire them. After months of negotiation Ford and Ferrari
seemed to have reached a mutual agreement for the deal. The deal was called off
by automotive legend and the owner of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari when he learned that
he would have to give up the management and day to day operations of his beloved
race team Scuderia Ferrari to Ford. A heated argument and many insults later
the seeds of the famous Ford and Ferrari argument were sowed. After the embarrassment
received at the hands of Ferrari, the president of Ford Motor Company Henry
Ford II wanted to get back at Ferrari by beating them where it mattered the
most – Le Mans.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is regarded as the most prestigious
endurance race event in the world. In the 1960s Ferrari was ruling Le Mans. To
build a car capable of beating mighty Ferrari, Ford assembled a stellar team of
race engineers and experts including race legend Carroll Shelby. In coordination
with Ford Advanced Vehicles, Shelby American, Wyer Automotive and legendary
race driver Ken Miles the team began building the Ford GT40. The race at
Le Mans is a very demanding and challenging one both for the car as well as the
driver. The cars have to constantly race at high speeds while cornering, along
straights and also maintain brake efficiency, fuel economy too. To maintain
high speeds and push the car to the limits while cornering a low center of
gravity, excellent driving dynamics and body control are very important. There
had been previous variants of the Ford GT40 such as the Mk I, II, III
– however, they were a mixed bag with regards to race performance.
For the 1966 season of Le Mans – Ford entered the GT40 Mk
II. Aerodynamics is a very crucial element of design in cars, even more so
in race cars. For 1966 the Ford team revamped the aerodynamics of the
previous edition GT40 and made it even better allowing for the car to
seamlessly cut through the air and hence make it more efficient. The lightweight and improved aerodynamics of the car helped reduce the wear on the
brakes making them last longer. During a very long and high-intensity race like
Le Mans the car brakes take a huge beating and tend to reach extremely high temperatures.
The high temperatures often result in brake failure if not maintained or
managed well. The Ford team developed an ingenious solution to the brake overheating
which allowed them to replace the brake pads at the time of the driver change
interval. The Ford GT40 was powered by a 7.0 L V8 petrol engine
producing 463 bhp of max power output mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. With
this powertrain set up, the Ford GT40 was well equipped to give the
Ferrari 330 a run for its money. After a thrilling and nail-biting 24 hours
race at Le Mans…Ford pipped Ferrari and beat them with an iconic 1-2-3 Ford
finish. With a brilliant driving performance from legendary drivers such as Ken
Miles, Bruce McLaren the Ford GT40 put the American car giant on the
global race map. The success of the Ford GT40 did not stop there, the
car went on to win the Le Mans 1967, 1968, 1969 editions consecutively and is also
the only car in the world to win at Le Mans 4 times in a row!
No comments:
Post a Comment