Ford GT40: Built With One Goal — Beat Ferrari
Few race cars carry this much personal corporate motivation behind their creation. This one exists because a deal fell through, and Ford wanted revenge on the track instead.
Illustration for editorial purposes
A Grudge Match Built in Metal
Corporate rivalries rarely produce genuine motorsport legends. This is the exception — a car built specifically and deliberately to humiliate a competitor at the sport's most prestigious endurance race.
History & Development
Developed after a failed attempt by Ford to acquire Ferrari in the early 1960s, it was created with the explicit corporate mandate of beating Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its name referenced its height in inches — just 40 — reflecting a design philosophy built entirely around minimising aerodynamic drag and maximising top speed on Le Mans' famously long straights.
Design & Engineering
A mid-mounted American V8 gave it reliable, potent power, while its low, aerodynamic body was developed with extensive wind tunnel testing that was still relatively novel in motorsport at the time. Continuous development across several variants steadily improved both reliability and outright pace as Ford refined the programme year over year.
Cultural Significance
It achieved its stated goal decisively, taking outright victory at Le Mans four consecutive years from 1966 to 1969, including a famous 1966 result where Ford cars finished first, second and third. That victory has since become one of the most celebrated stories in motorsport history, later dramatised in major films decades afterward.
Value Today
Genuine original racing and road-going examples are exceptionally rare and command some of the highest prices among historic competition cars at auction, reflecting both their extreme scarcity and their direct connection to one of motorsport's most storied rivalries.
Watch & Explore
More Ford Icons
- Ford Mustang 1965 Overview — Classic Icon
Sources: Ford Heritage archives, Wikipedia.