The Ford That Beat Ferrari - A Racing History of the GT40

The Ford GT40 has become one of the best known and most revered racing cars in the world. Between 1964 and 1969, the legendary GT40 competed in all of the major sports car events. The long distance endurance races of Daytona, Sebring and the ultimate goal Le Mans, all fell to the GT40. It competed all over the globe, from Sweden to South Africa, from Brazil to Japan. It rallied in the chilling snows of Europe, and raced in the tropical heat of Angola. After a rather shaky start, it matured into a sturdy, dependable and fast racing car that was thanks to its production Ford V8 engine - simple and inexpensive to buy and maintain, endearing itself to the impecunious club racers who jostled to buy battle scarred veterans, to coax yet more races out of them. Through subsequent years, the GT40 has gradually evolved into one of the most sought after cars of all time. Despite production of all variants, from Mark I to Mark V, reaching the astonishing tally of some 180 units, supply cannot keep pace with demand, and prime examples of this delectable racer can command prices as high as those of works by some of the world's greatest artists. Using over 800 evocative photographs, including some 300 in colour, this lavish book tells the story of the GT40's career, from construction of the first prototype, through the halcyon days of the World Sports Car Championship, to the historic racers of today, and then onto the new Ford GT of 2004-2005 that is carrying the tradition forward. Also incorporated within the pages are details of the Private Teams, which ran GT40s such as F. English Ltd, Ecurie Ford-France, Essex Wire racing team, as well as an individual chassis history register, listing the cars by chassis number. Details of the cars which ran at Le Mans as well as drivers who race the cars between 1964-1971 help complete this excellent work. When first published in 1985, The Ford That Beat Ferrari became a collector’s item in its own right: now completely revamped, with new information, photographs and design, this classic book is unsurpassed in its coverage of the visual aspects of the racing history of the world's greatest sports car — the glorious Ford GT40.