When Henry Ford II began designing the Ford GT40, he had a very specific goal in mind: keep Ferrari off the podium at the Le Mans 24-hour races. An extremely limited number of these were subsequently released for street use.

A demonstration of Ford mightiness

At the beginning of the sixties, there wasn't a single American manufacturer participating in international races. Looking to improve the image of the company, Henry Ford II began negotiating a take-over deal with Ferrari. But Enzo Ferrari's terms weren't quite what the American was looking for. In 1964, right after the negotiations with Ferrari collapsed, Ford released the GT40. Two years later, the Americans took first place from the Italians at the Le Mans 24-hour races.

Only a small fraction were street legal

All Ford GT40s were intended for the racetrack. Depending on the power plant installed (306-485 hp), they were capable of up to 343 km/h. This was enough to bring in two further Le Mans titles in 1967 and 1968. Spurred on by this success, the GT40 participated in races around the world. In 1965, Ford decided to release a small quantity of GT40s in a street configuration. A total of 38 examples were actually sold, making the GT40 one of the most sought-after production vehicles ever. The poor visibility and ventilation of the street version did nothing to reduce its popularity.

Ford GT40 series production

Ford built the production GT40 in the with a steel frame and a 4.7 liter V8 motor from 1965 to 1968. Less than 101 street-edition GT40s ever left the factory.