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Ford Returns To Le Mans in 2016 With All-New Ford GT, Marking 50th Anniversary of 1966 Victory

Ford Returns To Le Mans in 2016 With All-New Ford GT, Marking 50th Anniversary of 1966 Victory

Ford returns to Le Mans in 2016 with the all-new Ford GT supercar to compete in LM GTE Pro class, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Ford’s 1966 overall victory.

Original Examples of Ford’s GT40 Are Now Mega Valuable

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Original Examples of Ford’s GT40 Are Now Mega Valuable

Hard though it may be to believe, Ford’s iconic GT40 is currently celebrating its 50th birthday and, with values of the original 130-plus cars heading ever skywards, the opportunity to own one would seem to have passed most of us by. But help is at hand, for Le Mans Coupes Ltd is the UK agent for the unique Superformance continuation cars – contemporary GT40s so accurate that over 70 percent of the parts are interchangeable with those of the original examples; not least the all-steel monocoque chassis and famous sandwich roof.

Licensed by Safir GT40 Spares LLC of Ohio, the Superformance cars carry genuine GT40-P continuation chassis numbers that are recognised by the Shelby American World Registry. Each GT40 is lovingly hand-built to order by Hi Tech – operating from ultra-modern 270,000 sq ft premises in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the company’s 600 highly-skilled employees produce the GT40 alongside examples of the CSX9000 Series Shelby Daytona Cobra and evocations of the Shelby Cobra MKII and III (all of which are also available from Le Mans Coupe Ltd).

The GT40s are offered in the guise of the original Ford MKI and II cars and available in either left or righthand drive form. There is the choice of Roush-built Ford V8s of 5.6 (342ci), 6.6 (402ci) or 7.0 litre (427ci) capacity, with outputs ranging from 430 to a very substantial 560bhp. In each case, power is directed to the road via the choice of ZF RBT or Quaife RFQ transaxle. Depending on the engine selected, performance is in the realms of 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of over 205mph.

Familiar hallmarks

GT40 aficionados will feel instantly at home with the Superformance cars and recognise such hallmarks as the Monza-style fuel cap, ‘bundle of snakes’ exhaust system and Hartwell body latches. One welcome departure from original, however, is the inclusion of air conditioning as standard, while for added convenience and security the cars come with a detachable steering wheel. There is the choice of a sill-mounted, rod-operated gearchange as original, or a centrally-placed cable-operated system. Other options include a wide body for the MKI (as per the 1969 Gulf cars), ‘Gurney bubble’ to accommodate the taller drivers, and canard fins for additional front-end downforce.

Unlike the original chassis, which were not built with longevity in mind, those of the Superformance GT40s are made from ZE 50/50 electro-galvanized steel and therefore infinitely more corrosion resistant. Constructed from 244 laser-cut parts, they boast an outstanding torsional stiffness of 12,000 pounds per degree.

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American SpeedFest II to celebrate 50 years of the Ford GT40

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American SpeedFest II to celebrate 50 years of the Ford GT40

he biggest race of them all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was dominated by the GT40 in the late 1960s, and American SpeedFest II will take place one week shy of the 45th anniversary

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More Mid-Engined Motor Racing Magic At The 2013 Goodwood Revival

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More Mid-Engined Motor Racing Magic At The 2013 Goodwood Revival

Goodwood will be staging a unique all-Ford GT40 race at this year’s Goodwood Revival (13-15 September) to mark 50 years since development of this exceptional mid-engined Anglo-American racer began.

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Ford GT40 race for Masters Barcelona Festival

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Ford GT40 race for Masters Barcelona Festival

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic car, Masters will run a race-within-a-race for GT40s at the Catalan Classic Festival over the weekend of April 12-14. The cars will run within the existing World Sportscar Masters grid for a 90-minute race with special awards being presented to the winning GT40 team.

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Ford GT40

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Ford GT40

In 1962 after failing to buy Ferrari, Henry Ford II challenged Ford engineers to build a prototype racer that would win the Le Mans 24 Hours race, defeating the Italian arch-rival in the process.

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The 2013 Goodwood Revical To Mark The 50th Anniversary Of The Ford GT40’s Development With A Unique One-Model Race

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The 2013 Goodwood Revical To Mark The 50th Anniversary Of The Ford GT40’s Development With A Unique One-Model Race

The world’s finest collection of significant and authentic racing Ford GT40s will be gathered at the 2013 Goodwood Revival for an exceptional one-model race; the first time in history that a dedicated competition has ever been held for these iconic Ford racers.

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