1969 Ford GT40

Coupe
Chassis number: P1083

GT40 P/1083 was the last original GT-40 to be constructed and sold as a completed race car, with specs identical to the 1968 and 1969 LeMans-winning car. Sold to 'Team Colegio Arte e Instrucao' in Rio de Janeiro, owned by Sideny Cardoso, in 1969. Raced by Team CAI in 1969-1971. Sold to Fittipaldi Racing in 1971, and raced several times under Bardahl sponsorship. Achieved podium finished in all races entered, usually driven by Wilson Fittipaldi, and occasionally used by Fittipaldi as a road car. This car was purchased by its current owner in 2002, and restored to its original 1969 configuration. It has been raced since at various historic venues, including LeMans Classic, Lime Rock Vintage Festival, Monterey Historics, Mont Tremblant and Watkins Glen.

The car is painted Carnival Red and came with a lightweight roof, 302 V8 with Gurney heads and Weber carburetors and 5-speed ZF transaxle. It was first driven by David Hobbs at Thruxton. Carlos Pace and Wilson Fittipaldi drove the car to many podiums. George Stauffer purchased it in 1982 and raced it, selling it in 1992 to Jim George. After tub restoration by FAV Company it was sold to Archie Urciuoli who raced it some more.

Coupe
Chassis number: P1083

The Ford GT40 was born when Henry Ford was spurned in his attempt to buy Ferrari in 1963. He vowed to unseat the Italian automobile legend from its dominant position in international endurance racing. This the GT40 did convincingly, winning Le Mans in 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969 as well as Daytona, Sebring, and a host of other local and international events.

GT40 P/1083 was the last of the 48 MKI production race coupes to be constructed and sold as a finished race car, and is also the only GT40 to be sold directly by the factory. It was finished in Carnival Red to race specifications similar to the JWA-built LeMans-winning #1075, with lightweight roof, 5-liter engine with Gurney Weslake heads and Weber carbs, ZF-5speed transaxle, and JWAE/BRM 10-inch and 12-inch wheels. It was first tested at Thruxton, UK, in 1969 by David Hobbs.

In 1969, #1083 was sold to 'Team Colegio Arte E Instrucao' in Rio de Janeiro, owned by Sidney Cardoso, and raced by 'Team Cai' in 1969-1971.

Results:

11/69 - Campeonato de Rio de Janeiro (1st)

12/69 - Mil Quilometros da Guanabara (DNF)

1/71 - First Stage, GP de Sao Paulo (2nd)

Second Stage, GP de Sao Paulo (5th)

In 1971, #1083 was sold to Wilson Fittipaldi, fitted with 14-inch rear wheels (similar to #1075) and raced intermittently - five or six times in 10 years - under Bardahl sponsorship. Specific venues are unknown, but, according to Fittipaldi Racing, #1083 achieved podium finishes in all races entered, usually driven by Fittipaldi, and once by Carlos Pace. It was also used as a road car by Fittipaldi.

In 1982, #1083 was sold via Emerson Fittipaldi and Adrian Hamilton to George Stauffer, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, and was vintage raced extensively by Stauffer. In 1992, #1083 was sold to Jim George, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, who had the tub restored by Bob Ash, and also vintage raced the car occasionally.

In 2002, #1083 was sold to Archie Urciuoli, Casey Key, Florida. The engine, running gear and cosmetics were restored to the original 1969 configuration by Bob Ash (F.A.V. Co.) and Jeff Sime (Jeff*Works). The car has since been actively raced by Urciuoli at various historic events, including the Monterey Historics, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, and the Le Mans Classic.

Coupe

This fourth to the last GT40 Production Racing Coupe was built by J.W. Automotive Engineering, (previously Ford Advanced Vehicles), in Slough, England. It was completed February 6, 1969 and shipped to its first owner in South Africa. Its second owner, a Portuguese driver name Emilo Marta, campaigned this car in the Angolan Championship Series Twelve races, finishing 3rd in 1971, 2nd in 1972, and winning the 1973 championship.

First delivered in Cirrus White, it was to receive a variety of liveries over the years, now showing restoration to Cirrus White again. Original MK I GT40 specifications included several updates to 1968 lightweight configuration similar to the 1969 LeMans 24 Hour winning Gulf-Ford raced by J.W. Automotive Engineering. Power is derived from its wet deck 289 CID engine fitted with Weslake heads through a ZF 5-speed transaxle with a final drive ratio of 4.22:1, both original to this car. This gave reliable performance and allowed 200 mph on long straights. Gulf-Ford style BRM wheels, 10-inch front and 12-inch rear, with Stage II ventilated brake-discs, complete the original as-built mechanical components.

The Angolan Civil War of 1974 interrupted the Series Twelve races after the third race of that season, and Marta escaped with the car to Portugal where it was campaigned with Volante Livre livery of Marta's car rental business. Retired in 1979, subsequent owners kept the car that was later meticulously restored in Germany during 2004. It was then returned to the track for the 2010 LeMans Classic.

The history of the Ford GT40 began as an attempt to beat a certain Italian Automobile Manufacturer at the grueling 24 Hours of LeMans race. Each June, some of the world's best in the automotive industry descend onto a town West of Paris called LeMans, France to compete in a 24-Hour endurance competition. This tradition began in 1923 and since has become the pinnacle of automotive racing that challenges speed, performance, and durability. A select group of European marques had since dominated the race such as Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Bentley, and Alfa Romeo. Ford wanted to join this elite group.

During the early part of the 1960's, Ford attempted to buy Ferrari for $18 million to run its international racing program. The purpose was to use the Ferrari company and technology to help Ford achieve a LeMans victory. The negations unraveled and Ferrari walked away from the bargaining table in May of 1963. Enzo Ferrari gave no indication as to why he had decided his company was no longer for sale. Ford decided to build its own super-car and beat Ferrari at International Racing.

Roy Lunn was an Englishman who had begun his career at Ford of Britain and later came to the United States in 1958. He had played a role in helping to create the 1962 mid-engined Ford Mustang I Concept. The vehicle was an aluminum-bodied, two-seater that was powered by a 1.7-liter 4-cylinder engine.

After the Mustang I, Roy Lunn along with Ray Geddes and Donald Frey turned their attention to a racing program. The car that Ford had conceived was similar to a Lola GT, being low and mid-engined. The Lola was designed and built by Eric Broadley in Slough, England, and first displayed in January of 1963 at the London Racing Car Show. Broadley was running low on funds and consequently more than eager to join with Ford.

Borrowed from the Lola GT were the monocoque center section and aerodynamic design. It was longer, wider, and stronger with a rigid steel section. In the mid-section lay an all-aluminum 4.2-liter V8 engine. The gearbox was a 4-speed Colotti unit; the suspension was double-wishbone. Excellent stopping power was provided by the 11.5-inch disc brakes on all four wheels. In April 1964 the GT40 was displayed to the public at the New York Auto Show. Two weeks later the car was at Le Mans being put through pre-race testing. The result of a very rushed program became evident. The car suffered from aerodynamic and stability issues and as a result, ended in two crashes.

The GT represented 'Grand Turismo' while the designation 40 represented its height, only 40 inches. The number 40 was added to the designation when the Mark II was introduced.

The Mark II, still built in England, was put through extensive testing which solved many of the stability issues. Carroll Shelby was brought on board to oversee the racing program. He began by installing a 7-liter NASCAR engine that was more powerful and more reliable. The result was a vehicle that was much more stable and quicker than the Mark I. For the 1965 LeMans, the Mark II proved to be a stronger contender but resulted in another unsuccessful campaign.

The third generation of the GT-40, the Mark III, was introduced in 1966 and only seven were produced. Ford continued to fine-tune and prepare the GT-40 for LeMans. The GT40 led the race from the beginning. This lead continued throughout the evening and into the morning hours. During the morning the GT40's were ordered to reduce their speed for purposes of reliability. By noon, ten out of the thirteen Ford vehicles entered had been eliminated. The remaining three Fords went on to capture first through third place. This victory marked the beginning of a four-year domination of the race.

In 1967 Ford introduced the Mark IV to LeMans. It was built all-American, where the previous versions had been criticized as being English-built and fueled by monetary resources from America. This had not been the first attempt for an all-American team using an American vehicle to attempt to capture victory at LeMans. Stutz had finished second in 1928. Chrysler had finished third and fourth place during the same year, 1928. In 1950 the first major attempt to win at Lemans was undertaken by a wealthy American named Briggs Cunningham. Using modified Cadillac's he captured 10th and 11th. His following attempts to win at LeMans included vehicles that he had built where he managed a third-place finish in 1953 and fifth place in 1954. This had been the American legacy at LeMans.

Of the seven vehicles Ford entered in 1967, three crashed during the night time hours. When the checkered flag dropped it was a GT40 driven by Gurney/Foyt to beat out the 2nd and 3rd place Ferrari by only four laps.

For 1968 the FIA put a ceiling on engine displacement at 5 liters. Ford had proven that Ferrari could be beaten and an American team and car could win at LeMans. Ford left international sports racing and sold the cars to John Wyer. Gulf Oil Co. provided sponsorship during the 1968 LeMans season. The Ford GT40 Mark I once again visited LeMans and again in 1969 where they emerged victorious both times. In 1969 the margin of victory for the GT40 was just two seconds after the 24 Hours of racing.

In 1969 new FIA rules and regulations ultimately retired the GT40's from racing and ended the winning streak.

Around 126 Ford GT-40's were producing during the production life span. During this time a wide variety of engines were used to power the vehicle. The MKI used a 255 cubic-inch Indy 4-cam, a 289, and 302 small block. The 289 was by far the most popular, producing between 380 and 400 horsepower. When the MKI returned during the 1968 and 1969 season it was outfitted with a 351 cubic-inch Windsor engine. The MKII came equipped with a 427 cubic-inch NASCAR engine. The third generation, the MK-III, had 289 cubic-inch engines. In the final version, the MK-IV, all were given 427 cubic-inch power-plants.

America, more specifically Ford, had proven that American automobiles and drivers were able to compete in all arenas.

After the production of the Ford GT40 ceased, there were several companies interested in creating replicas. One such company was Safir Engineering which purchased the rights to the name. In 1985 the Ford GT40 MKV was introduced and examples would continue to be produced until 1999. Chassis numbers continued in sequence where the original Ford cars stopped. The cars were powered by a Ford 289 cubic-inch OHV engine that produced just over 300 horsepower and were able to carry the car to a top speed of 164. Zero-to-sixty took just 5.3 seconds. Disc brakes could be found on all four corners. The cars were nearly identical to the original.

by Dan Vaughan