1966 Ford GT40 & 2006 Ford GT

By Jay Hirsch

The Ford GT 40 and its “cousin,” the 2004-2006 Ford GT, have their roots going back to 1963 and the rivalry between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari. Henry Ford II was “miffed,” to say the least, when Enzo Ferrari refused his offer to buy Ferrari Motors in 1963. At first Enzo accepted and then he turned down the offer. There was a “clause which stated that Ford would control the budget and thus all the decisions related to the Ferrari racing division,” and this became the reason for the agreement to be called off by Enzo Ferrari, as he was not at all ready to give away the company’s motorsport program.

To get back at Ferrari, Henry II decided to build a car that would leave Ferrari eating the exhaust fumes from this Ford-built sports car. Henry II hired Caroll Shelby to run the racing operation of the new race car division at Ford Motor Company. Shelby was the only American driver to ever win at LeMans, and he brought in Ken Miles to be the driver of the new Ford GT40. Ken was not only a driver but an…

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