Ford GT40 & GT Ultimate Portfolio 1964-2006: Road Test Book

This is a large collection of newspaper and magazine articles featuring the Ford GT40 super car from 1964 to the recent past. It is not your typical coffee table book which is so often published on the GT40. Rather it's a reference book full of substance, useful to anyone wanting to know more detail about this legend. Articles cover the GT40 on the American circuit and Le Mans in Europe. Contents span popular press as well as technical press. Understandably due to the book format only about a quarter of the contents is in colour - so get that coffee table book as well to compliment this unique reference book!

This is a solid historic collection of contemporary articles from various car magazines covering the iconic Ford GT40 in all its incarnations. Selections from American and British magazines cover the more than 45 years since Ford first introduced the racing GT40 prototype at the New York Auto Show in 1964, all the way up to the road-going Ford GT supercar of 2005. Photos and graphics are well-reproduced.There have been many excellent recent books on the GT40, but it's fun to read the original source material written by automotive magazine journalists at the time Ford first challenged Ferrari for supremacy on the world's race tracks, culminating with four consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966-69.For anyone who was a racing fan in the 1960s -- or a student of that era today -- this is an enjoyable addition to your bookshelf.

My step father-in-law is going to build a GT40 kit car and we were stumped over what to get him for Christmas. I happened upon this book in a search and bought it on a whim. He was THRILLED. He said people reference this book often on the discussion forums he frequents and he had previously been unable to find it in bookstores. Needless to say, he spent the rest of the afternoon ignoring everyone ;-).

This is what I was looking to complete my collection. I am a die cast car collector I have the 1/64th thru the 1/18th scale GT's and the book tops off my collection. Not sure its value but to me the book is worth every penny.

Impressive collections of archived articles documenting the development of this world beater champion. A great add to any aitomotive library.

no comment

This is not another rehash of the Ford GT40s, but an anthology of vintage magazine reports from 1964 to 1969, about the design, development and racing account of the GT40s, a veritable you-are-there perspective. Included is a section from 2003 to 2006 about the state of these cars today, and the 2005 Ford GT40 sold in limited production for street use. The articles appeared in such magazines as Autosport, Motor, Road & Track, Sports Car Graphic, and Car and Driver. Photos are black & white, except for those in the last third of the book. In addition, there are cutaway drawings of the Lola GT, Ford GT40 (several drawings), and the Ford Mk IV.The magazine articles are first-hand accounts of the design and development of GT40s as reported at the time, the various problems encountered on the track (mostly aerodynamic and unnecessary technology) and how they were solved. When Carroll Shelby assumed control, the cars were further refined, updated, and given more powerful engines. In Shelby’s hands the Ford GT40s began doing what they were intended to do—beat Ferrari. The biggest prize, and Ford’s primary objective, was to win the Le Mans 24-Hour, which after two years of trying, the company did, in 1966 and ’67. Ford then pulled out of racing. Englishman John Wyer continued with the GT40 (now in 5-liter form, in compliance with new FIA regulations, and now equipped freer-breathing Gurney-Weslake cylinder heads) and won Le Mans twice more, in 1968 and ’69, giving Ford four-straight Le Mans victories.Several of the articles published in 1964 mention Ford’s use of computers to aid with suspension design. What the computers actually did was plot suspension geometry in a very short time (mere days as opposed to weeks and months) which helped Ford develop the original GT40 very quickly, from the basic Lola GT design (purchased by Ford in 1963), to the machine with handling characteristics that drivers raved about. Not discussed in much detail, is the Ford Mk IV that won Le Mans in 1967. While the original Ford GT40 was based on the Lola GT and built in England, the Mark IV was designed by Ford engineer Ed Hull and built exclusively at Kar Kraft in Detroit. To this day, the Ford Mark IV is the only all-American car to win the Le Mans classic. This book also includes the complete racing record of these cars, from 1964 to ’67, and an insightful interview with Dan Gurney about what it was like to race these cars and about his victory (with co-driver A.J. Foyt) at Le Mans in 1967. Very informative with lots of photos. Five stars.

A slim volume but there is no padding. Well packed with lots of information. Worth every penny. A great buy.

I am fond of this book, it is a good collection of articles and press releases of the times when this car was coming out to race on the circuits. the black and white drawings, photos are welcomed and so are the colour ones.I recommend it. A good addition to my bookcase.

Very informative book. I have read about 12 books on the GT40 so do know a lot about these cars.