Stuary Turner worked as designer for this mid-engined Ford with intentions to race it as a rally car. The GT40 had been given the '40' designation due to it being 40 inches high. The GT70 received its numerical '70' value because it was completed right before 1970. Various engines were proposed to reside in the engine compartment, but it was the Capri derived Essex V6 unit that eventually made its way mid-ship to power the rear wheels of the GT70.
A workers strike halted production and the producing these vehicles meant that it never made it into serious production. Only three prototypes were created.