Watkins Glen Historics: GT40

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

golfnow · 09-15-2004, 06:16 PM

Ran into this one at Road America

golfnow · 09-15-2004, 06:18 PM

More

golfnow · 09-15-2004, 06:19 PM

More

typ550 · 09-15-2004, 06:29 PM

There were no less than 9 GT-40s competing at the Goodwood Revival two weekends ago (at least, that's how many I counted, perhaps there were more). Great to see (and hear) these cars out on the track. Sad to say one (not the one pictured) got pranged in an altercation with a Brabham during the last race of the day on Sunday.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

golfnow, Thats a Mk4 I am going to do that one in another thread.

golfnow · 09-15-2004, 07:39 PM

At least now I know what I was watching

Paul Franssen · Paul Franssen's Garage

Every time I see a GT-40, be it "live" or on photo, I have to admit those are one helluva car! At the Le Mans Classic in July, there were a dozen of 'em in one single race.

Quite an envigorating roar, together with a few dozen brethren of the P. 908, F. 512 and Lola 70 variety, charging down the straight in-between the grandstands...

project935 · 09-16-2004, 07:14 AM

My ultimate dream car ... someday I hope a very good Mk1 kit version will be in my garage.

The new GT just isn't the same IMO ... I was around it's develpment enough to see how the soul of a road-going race car (the GT40) was changed to a very fast road car. Not saying its a bad thing, but to me it just isn't the same.

I worked for the company that built the 1st prototype cars (mules and show) - I had been a GT40 buff for a long time and knew a lot of the details about the originals. When they asked for a modern day solution to the suspension/parts availability/load capacities they asked me for some input. The early prototypes had a fair amount of Porsche parts incorporated into them ...

RickM · RickM's Garage

Two words: Major Wood

Thanks for posting the great pics.

jmz · jmz's Garage

Thanks Bill! I was hoping you had more pics of the Ford after seeing your original W.G. photos.

That is one of the Sexiest cars on the planet in my opinion

Wil Ferch · 09-16-2004, 09:46 AM

Hey project 935 !

The GT40 program of cars is my next highest interest after Porsches and such....and I've been following these cars and their histories since their inception.

Perhaps you can shed some light on this:
- the cars naturally evolved from Eric Broadley's Lola GT ( some call it the Lola Mk 6). Question: Who...actually....penned the MK1 or Mk11 GT-40 body? My guess has always been Dearborn, the Ford HQ styling studios....but this part of the history gets glossed-over. What's the poop ??

Wil

EDIT:
Maybe I should have said...who did the original GT-40 as it appeared at LeMans in early 1964...and who did the re-work that led to the MK1 and Mk11 ??