Ford GT40 1966 posters


Ford GT40

In the early 1960s, after unsuccessfully trying to buy Ferrari, Henry Ford II declared that he wanted to win the 1966 Le Mans Race. To fulfill this ambition, Ford Advanced Vehicles was established and the development of a cutting-edge GT Coupe began. Constructed around the 1963 Indianapolis 4.2 L (254 cu in) engine, the first encountered issues when the prototypes debuted in April 1964. Despite this, the car was named "GT40" due to its 40 inch height and broke the record for the race lap, with a time of 3:49.4 (131.7 mph). Carroll Shelby's Shelby-American company took over the car's project in 1965 and top-priority modifications improved the engine to a Shelby Cobra derived 4.7-litre (289 cu in) V-8 with a power of 385bhp, replacing the Colotti straight-cut gears with Ford helical gears, and improved the clutch, shaft, and fuel feed system. Aerodynamics, cooling, and exhaust were also updated on the new Ford GT40. Its success in the 1965 Daytona Continental Race with the first and third positions showed this vehicle was ready to be manufactured in larger amounts. By mid-1965, Ford had produced enough GT40s to meet the requirement of the Production Sports Car category and to mark a turning point for the company - in 1966 a Ford GT40 took all the podium spots in Le Mans and dominated the world of sports car racing. The street-legal version, with a price of £7,253 (15x the price of an entry level Ford Anglia), was presented in 1966 and was named "the most expensive Ford ever". A total of 31 were built. The specifications include 380bhp, 4,728 cc (289 cu in) overhead valve V-8 engine, five-speed ZF gearbox, independent front suspension via double wishbones with coil springs, independent rear suspension via trailing links, lower wishbones and coil springs, four-wheel disc brakes, and wheelbase of 95in. (2,413mm).

Celebrate the 1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 with limited-edition Ford souvenirs like posters, mouse pads, t-shirts and calendars! Relive the excitement of the historic race with every glance you take at these souvenirs. Get your piece of history today!