Arriving in prototype form just in time for Ford’s Centennial celebration in 2003, the Ford GT debuted for 2004 as the modern, road-going interpretation of the GT40 endurance racing car that beat Ferrari and swept the 24 Hours of Le Mans race four years in a row from 1966-’69. The ultra high-performance two-seat Ford GT was produced from 2005 through 2006 and showcased many advanced technologies. It sports a supercharged mid-mounted V8 engine, boasts an impressive 3.2-second 0-60-mph time, aluminum chassis, superplastic-formed aluminum body panels, a capless fuel filler, cross-drilled Brembo brakes and a carbon-fiber engine cover. The 2006 edition of the Ford GT included this limited-edition Tungsten Silver exterior color that commemorates the GT40’s 1966 1-2-3 Le Mans victory.
World famous Ford GT40 – designed to beat Ferrari…and it did!
Ford’s most famous racing car, the GT40, won the Le Mans 24-hour race four times during the 1960s. The GT40 was the result of Henry Ford II’s failed attempts to purchase Ferrari. After Enzo Ferrari cut the deal at the last minute, Henry Ford II directed his racing division to build a “Ferrari-beater”. The resulting GT40 – named so because it stands only 40 inches tall – did just that by coming in 1st, 2nd and 3rd at Le Mans in 1966. It is now one of the world’s most recognizable race cars ever produced.
