The creation and dominance of the Ford GT40 explored in the latest Hagerty Sidedrafts podcast
When you think of the Ford GT40 (and anyone who’s ankle-deep into classic car and racing culture does often), you think of one thing above all: the car’s dominance at Le Mans in the 1960s. Beginning with a 1-2-3 finish in 1966, the GT40 won the Le Mans 24 Hours four years in a row, delighting Henry Ford II and infuriating Enzo Ferrari.
Four decades after that win, the company resurrected the storied machine with an all-new, retro-inspired Ford GT to commemorate Ford’s 100th anniversary. Chris Theodore was Ford’s VP of Product Engineering at the time and the man tasked with designing an all-new car that captured the spirit of the original.
In the latest Hagerty Sidedrafts podcast, Larry Webster sits down with Theodore, who recounts the thrilling but harrowing story behind the original Ford GT40, as well as the 2005-2006 Ford GT reimagination. (Fifty years after the GT40’s first win at LeMans, the third-iteration Ford GT delighted racing fans and won its class in 2016, finishing one minute ahead of Ferrari. GTs also placed third and fourth.)
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