<VV> Builders of Ford GT's

[James P. Rice]

"By the way H&M were the original builders of the Ford GT-40 Mark II, III,
and IV.   They are still building the 
continuation series of the GT-40 Mark II. As of 2011, they still offed tours
of the facility."

Jim:  I do not believe this is correct information, not that most VV readers
really care...VBG!!!

While wildly abused nomenclature today, back in the day only the small block
cars were GT40s.  They were all built by Ford Advance Vehicles or JW
Automotive in England.  Including the Ford GT Mk III.  It was meant to be a
streetable version of the GT40.  It had 4 head lights and an extended tail
which could actually hold a normal suitcase or two.  Not many of them were
made.        

The Ford Mk II's and the Ford Mk IV's were all 427 cid engined cars and were
built by Ford's Kar Kraft division in SE Michigan.  HM & Shelby American did
final assembly and raced them as two independent teams.  Until the FIA
changed the rules making them ineligible for FIA Endurance racing at the end
of the 1967 season. 

The small block GT40 were still eligible, which allowed JWA to race them in
1968-69.  One of their cars, chassis 1075, won LeMans two years in a row,
which had never been done before.   Porsche repeated the feat, but I don't
remember if it was with a 956 or 962.     

HM got the manufacturing right for spares from Ford, and began building new
Mk II's.  Sales have been very disappointing according to the HM
representative I talked to at Rd America a few years ago when they had a car
there for the July vintage race.  

A English company named Safir Engineering got the rights to the GT40 small
block cars in the early 80's.  They called them the Ford Mk V. There are now
two or three companies making the small block cars.   And a couple trying to
make the big block cars, especially the Mk IV, but with little sales
success.    


I worked the summer of 1966 at Ford's Rouge plant on the hot test stand.  We
occasionally got a 427 with dual quads to run.  Everybody know when they
fired up.  Now that I think of it, maybe I can sue Ford for the ringing in
my ears I now have.  Probably not....

Historically Yours,
                          James Rice