Ford GT – Pulpaddict

FORD 2005-’06 GT: ALL-AMERICAN SUPERCAR

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about the FORD 2005-’06 GT: ALL-AMERICAN SUPERCAR, from Concept to production, plus a buying guide. Hemmings’ Mark J. McCourt covers all bases.

Being a Ford GT40 and Mark IV nerd, a longtime friend of the late Roy Lunn, above, the Godfather of the 1966-1969 Le Mans winning racecars ( Ford GT40 Mark II, Mark IV & GT40), and an owner of an ‘06 Tungsten Grey GT for some dozen years, I marveled over just how much historical and current valuation information Mark McCourt had packed into his feature article. I’m also fortunate to have Jim Padilla, the retired President of Ford during the GT program, and Chris Theodore, V.P. of Car Product Development, known as the father of the Ford GT, below, as friends. When the FORD 2005-’06 GT: ALL-AMERICAN SUPERCAR was launched, it was America’s Supercar. And, in many ways, it still is! Martyn Schorr.

As the Ford Motor Company approached the year 2000 and began preparations to mark its centenary in 2003, its design executives were combing through the back catalog for inspiration. Ford debuted its 1999 Thunderbird show car to widespread applause, that retro-themed two-seater tastefully recalling the 1955-’57 originals and leading to the production 2002-’05 Thunderbird. The fifth-generation Mustang, codenamed S197, was in development and took major cues from the 1967-’68s; it would appear in concept form in 2003 and enter showrooms for 2005. And the ultimate postwar Ford to inspire a celebratory retro reboot was the Ferrari-beating Le Mans racing champion of the 1960s, the GT40 & Mark II, which begat the 2005-’06 GT.

Like the Thunderbird before and Mustang that followed, the production GT was introduced to the public as a concept car — the 2002 GT40. This modern classic was the handiwork of Ford stylist Camilo Pardo, right, working under design chief J Mays, and it would soon roll onto the streets looking virtually unaltered. While the original GT40 was a racecar that sold to private owners in tiny numbers as a road-legal homologation special, the new-millennium GT would be a road car that could hold its own on a track against imported thoroughbreds like the contemporary Ferrari 360 Modena and Porsche Carrera GT. Its advertising tagline was apt — “The Pace Car for an Entire Company,” and 20 years of hindsight has proven this Blue Oval halo car earned its veneration through analog driver engagement, reliable supercharged V8 power, and timeless beauty.

A FoMoCo-sanctioned conversion called the GTX1, below, conceived by Ford SVT engineer Kip Ewing and executed by Genaddi Design Group in Wisconsin, was available for a short time after debuting to rave reviews at the 2005 SEMA Show. It features four removable roof panels, a power-retractable backlite, and a redesigned clamshell deck with a glass panel to expose the engine. It allowed the car to be fully open, fully closed, or to run like a T-top, and all four panels could be stowed within the car. Special five-spoke alloy wheels, 19 x 9- and 20 x 11.5-inches front and rear, were included. It’s believed fewer than 50 GTs were altered.The FORD 2005-’06 GT: ALL-AMERICAN SUPERCAR balances its decades-old heritage with cutting-edge design work and the clever use of motorsports-grade materials. Ford engineers and technical specialists in the Special Vehicle Teams division collaborated with counterparts at Roush Industries (engine development and prototype construction), Mayflower Vehicle Systems (aluminum-body assembly), Lear Corporation (interior and electronics), and Saleen Special Vehicles (pre-driveline assembly and paint) to create this new model from the ground up in roughly two years, working hard to meet goals for styling, functional aerodynamics, occupant packaging, safety, emissions, and weight.

Despite being a bigger car — 18.3 inches longer, 6.9 inches wider, and 3.8 inches taller — than the diminutive 1960s GT40, the production GT sports an exterior that’s faithful to the 2002 show car, and so is its interior, which interprets the Le Mans racer through a modern lens. The seven-dial instrument panel, with a large tachometer directly in front of the driver and a matching speedometer angled at far right, made the final cut, as did the row of vertical toggle-switch controls, the satin metal center console containing an aluminum ball-topped manual shifter and heating-A/C controls, and the carbon-fiber-shell seats with circles recalling the GT40’s venting holes.

Continue reading FORD 2005-’06 GT: ALL-AMERICAN SUPERCAR @ https://www.hemmings.com/stories/heres-how-to-buy-the-best-example-of-fords-modern-classic-supercar-the-2005-2006-gt/?uemlid=e323c71347790f699ba35a9dc01d49ac3f938885a7df6321087c8c9b4c0dd333

2005-2006 FORD GT: AMERICA’S SUPERCAR

Hagerty.com’s Eddy Eckart celebrates the 2005-2006 FORD GT: AMERICA’S SUPERCAR and analyzes its marketplace appeal and strong fan base.

Creating a modern GT40 road car was every bit as ambitious as Henry Ford II’s desire for international motorsports domination. Both of these goals were attained – and were historically significant.

The GT40 was a key ingredient in the formula Henry Ford II used to dominate international motorsports and change racing history. Almost four decades later, Henry’s nephew, William Clay “Bill” Ford, Jr., found new life for the GT40. First, it was a Concept in 2002, and then it morphed into a modern road car in 2005. The production 2005-2006 FORD GT: AMERICA’S SUPERCAR reinvigorated Ford’s historic hallmarks of success: passion, performance and speed.

When Chief Designer Camilo Pardo first took up his tools in 1999 to bring the 2002 Ford GT40 concept car to life, writes Eckart, the stakes were a little different than the last time the Blue Oval set about constructing an all-conquering GT40. There was no need to settle a grudge with Ferrari at Le Mans – that matter had been rather thoroughly closed a few decades prior. Instead, the concept would celebrate the brand’s centennial anniversary, and remind the world of what Ford could do when it put its collective mind to something. Today, the 2005-2006 FORD GT: AMERICA’S SUPERCAR is roundly considered an American classic and a fitting road-going successor to the 1960s originals.

The celebration fortunately wouldn’t end with the concept. After the rousing response to the GT40 concept’s debut at the 2002 North American International Auto Show, Ford realized they had to build it. The car was a home run – every bit as imposing and purposeful as the originals, but also the modern halo car needed to help refresh the public’s image of the company. Within a matter of weeks, Bill Ford, Jr. announced that the company would indeed put the car into production.Of the many retro-inspired designs from the early 2000s, few have aged as well as the GT. It didn’t hurt that the original GT40 was an attractive starting point, but Pardo created a clear lineage to the original without making the GT feel dated or out of place, even when observed over 20 years after its debut. Proportions appear spot on, though dimensionally, this car is larger than its predecessor in just about every way – four inches taller, a significant 18 inches longer, and about six inches wider.

Continue reading 2005-2006 FORD GT: AMERICA’S SUPERCAR @ https://www.hagerty.com/media/market-trends/hagerty-insider/ford-gt-market-spot/?hashed_email=a02fd73f06c2d5cc23217af748ce3d6f41526c251ab3e3c8a815e3f6b362bb1b&dtm_em=a02fd73f06c2d5cc23217af748ce3d6f41526c251ab3e3c8a815e3f6b362bb1b

FORD GT40 ANTHOLOGY

You may think that you know everything about GT40s, but this just-published book – FORD GT40 ANTHOLOGY – is true to its sub-title, ‘A unique compilation of stories about these most iconic cars.’

Since Hollywood took incredible liberties entertaining us with its blockbuster version of Ford beating Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966 – FORD v FERRARI – there has been a renewed interest in the Ford GT40 and the company’s program which created cars that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for four straight years. There’s no shortage of GT40-related books – published both before and after the film broke cover. Some focus on engine and car specifications and chassis numbers, others on race records, driver profiles, etc. Pretty dry reading unless you’re restoring a car, own one, or want to impress someone at a cocktail party by rattling off numbers and who won what!

But, FORD GT40 ANTHOLOGY, A unique compilation of stories about these most iconic cars is different. And, what makes it different, also makes it worth buying, even at $90. Publisher Veloce is no stranger to books on this subject, having offered a trio of related titles in their portfolio that were published before this tome. It provides insights to the GT40’s design and racing achievements, starting with the first-built GTs, below, and some well-kept secrets about its development and financial aspects.

Authors John Allen and Graham Endeacott, both Brits, have immersed themselves for years in everything Ford GT/GT40. Allen is a published author and photographer; Endeacott has owned a replica GT40 since the mid-1990s. Allen also co-authored THE FORD THAT BEAT FERRARI, A Racing History of the GT40 with Gordon Jones in 2019. When it comes to Ford GT/GT40 history, these guys are experts.

GT40 ANTHOLOGY, is highly recommended for serious GT40 nerds who never seem to get enough words and photos about their favorite marque, as well as “newbies” who discovered GT40s watching FORD v FERRARI. That goes for me as well, a veteran enthusiast automotive journalist and magazine editor. What I truly appreciate is the way Allen and Endeacott handled the ever-popular conspiracy theory about Ken Miles being robbed, by Ford, of what could have been his win at Le Mans in 1966, when three Ford Mark IIs crossed the line for an unprecedented 1-2-3 victory. They devote 9 pages, a complete chapter (13) titled DEAD HEAT, to debunking that myth that surfaces every time a new book or film on the subject surfaces.

“… it was claimed by some that when the planned dead heat was announced, somebody from Ford (recollections vary as to who it was) had – allegedly – been sent to ACO to try and get a lap taken off Miles’ car, thus ensuring a win for McLaren and Amon. There’s no evidence in the ACO’s IBM timing records for P/1015 to suggest that any such lap had been removed, and it is difficult to see how it could have been done.”

They finish off the chapter with, “Whatever one’s view of the subject, the fact is that P/1046 and its drivers won according to the race rules, rules that applied to everybody, and nothing what so ever can, or should attempt to, take that victory from them. So … the congratulations rightly went to Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon and GT40P/1046 for winning the 34^th Grand Prix d’Endurance -les 24 Heures du Mans!”

During the development of the Ford GT and subsequent GT40 and Mark II, even later when the Mark II was replaced by the Mark IV, Ford’s Roy Lunn who headed up the Le Mans program, was enamored with Ford’s Indy engines. First it was the 1963 aluminum small-block used in Ford’s first Indy car; later with the sophisticated purpose-built four-cam race engine that replaced it in 1964 and went on to dominate Indy 500 racing. The first GTs were powered by the single-cam, two-valve Fairlane based Indy engine, later replaced with 289s.

Ford’s Engine and Foundry Division supplied Lunn with a total of 10 Indy engines, 5 of each version. The authors do a great job of following the applications and use of the engines, supported by photos of the four-cam motor in Bill Wonder’s GT/103, above. Wonder had actually installed it himself. The injected Gen II Indy motor was also considered for use in a modified sports car built around the Mark IV platform. While the Mark IV chassis # J-9 was being built by Lunn’s team at Kar-Kraft, below, it was fitted with one of the four-cam motors. There’s a great photo of that chassis with Indy engine installed, a photo that I’ve never seen before.

GT40 ANTHOLOGY is packed with interesting chapters tracking the history of important cars and their owners, a broad selection of examples of GT40 road and racecar advertising, and the most coverage I’ve yet seen on Safir Engineering, its owner Peter Thorp and the company’s Mark V continuation GT40s. And, how they ended up with rights to “GT40” and Ford not using it for its 2005-2006 modern variant of the GT40. As a genuine GT40 “nerd” and the owner of an ’06 Ford GT, I found the final chapter (32, MARK V) of great personal interest.

I already own just about every book written on the Ford GT/GT40, Mark II & Mark IV road and racecars, and if Allen and Endeacott decide to write another, it will end up in my library! Be aware, FORD GT40 ANTHOLOGY, A unique compilation of stories about these most iconic cars, is a true coffee table book, not the kind you take along to read on an airplane flight. It measures 12 x10.5 inches, is packed with around 500 photos over 320 pages and weighs approximately 5 pounds. It’s a heavyweight read, highly recommended; well worth the $90 tariff.

Check out FORD GT40 ANTHOLOGY, A unique compilation of stories about these most iconic cars @ https://www.amazon.com/Ford-GT40-Anthology-John-Allen/dp/1787115763/ref=asc_df_1787115763/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475741797303&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=664353068492404021&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9012304&hvtargid=pla-1126985586389&psc=1

https://www.veloce.co.uk/store/Ford-GT40-Anthology-p303032784

CAMILO PARDO, FORD GT SEMINAR

What better venue than the Simeone Museum – displaying the Ford Mark I GT40 that inspired the 2005 Ford GT – could there be for a CAMILO PARDO, FORD GT SEMINAR?

On June 11^th, Camilo Pardo will discuss the inspirations he used to design the ’05 Ford GT at an event at the Simeone Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Camilo will have an example of the 2005 model to use in his discussion, alongside the same car Camilo used as inspiration for his design almost two decades ago – the ‘66 Ford Mark I GT40 Mk I, chassis #1030, owned by Benjamin Levy. The event will take place at 11:15 – Noon as part of the Museum’s “Demo Days,” where cars from the collection are driven on the back parking area. The theme of the Demo Day is “Americans at Le Mans.” Historian/photographer Harry Hurst will moderate.

Born in New York City, Camilo moved to Detroit at the age of 10 and had by that age developed a fascination with 1960s and 1970s-era sports cars and modern art. After graduating from Detroit’s prestigious Center for Creative Studies in 1985, Camilo was hired by Ford to work at its Design Center in Dearborn, MI. His assignments included working in the Dearborn Advanced Studios, Ford of Europe Studio in Torino, Italy, and the Design Studios in Cologne, Germany. After 15 years at Ford Motor Company, he took on what was for him the ultimate assignment – a state-of-the-art re-design of the classic Ford GT40 racecar. This project produced the ‘02 Ford GT Concept car.

As Chief Designer of the Ford GT and the SVT Studio, Camilo’s team worked on the 2005 and 2006 production Ford GT. The GT became an instant success capturing the interest of car enthusiasts around the world. GT40 P/1030, above, with prototype ’05 Ford GT

Camilo is also a multi-faceted artist, working in oil paintings, fashion, and furniture. His automotive fine art is highly prized by collectors and Camilo plans to have a sampling on display at the Simeone, available for sale. HIs fashion pieces have been created for auto shows and runway exhibits. Camilo’s industrial design reaches into sculptural furniture design that has made the rounds from art galleries in Metro Detroit, Italy, Japan, and the Contemporary Furniture Fare in New York. Check out Camilo’s art @ http://www.camilopardo.com/

For additional information on CAMILO PARDO, FORD GT SEMINAR event, and Museum displays and details, please visit https://www.simeonemuseum.org/

’22 FORD GT: HOLMAN MOODY HERITAGE EDITION

’22 FORD GT: HOLMAN MOODY HERITAGE EDITION Supercar honors Ford’s historic 1-2-3 sweep at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

In a special nod to the debut of the original Ford GT40 prototype at the 1964 New York Auto Show, Ford is returning to the Big Apple for the first public appearance of its new ’22 FORD GT: HOLMAN MOODY HERITAGE EDITION. It pays tribute to the company’s 1966 Le Mans sweep and the race team that innovated the capability of the GT40 MK II to deliver a brake setup matching the racecar’s 200 mph-plus speeds. This marks the final 2022 Heritage Edition paying tribute to the GT40 MK II race car that completed the famous 1-2-3 sweep at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

“Of all the Ford GT Heritage Edition liveries we’ve done, the Holman Moody Heritage Edition’s can’t-miss signature gold and red theme is an epic tribute to our 1966 Le Mans finish,” said Mike Severson, Ford GT program manager. “Inspired by one of the most well-known Ford GT40 race cars, this latest Ford GT honors the Holman Moody race team’s knowhow and ability to out-innovate global competitors.”

The Holman Moody team played a critical role in the GT40’s race success. Following the 1965 Le Mans race, Ford’s newly formed Le Mans committee tasked Holman Moody (and Shelby American) to rework the GT40 MK II. Driven more than 265 laps over eight days in January 1966, chassis No. P/1016 became a laboratory on wheels as the teams worked to redesign brakes, suspension and tire setups to be more competitive, even trying an experimental automatic transmission. They had one goal – to win at the 1966 Le Mans race.

This spirit of innovation continues today, with the 2022 Ford GT’s track-capable hardware, paddle-shifting 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and carbon fiber body. The ultra-limited-production GT Holman Moody Edition Supercar will be on display at the 2022 New York International Auto Show side-by-side with the podium-placing Holman Moody Ford GT40 MK II, chassis No. P/1016.

The unique gold and red livery of the limited-edition GT includes signature Oxford White roundels with No. 5 stamped on the doors, hood and rear wing – all matching the appearance of the ‘66 Ford GT40 raced by Holman Moody. Exposed gloss carbon fiber components are prominent, including on the 20-inch wheels, front splitter, side sills, mirrors, engine louvers and rear diffuser. Brembo^® brake calipers lacquered in black with silver graphics, plus black lug nuts further modernize the aesthetic.

Carbon fiber carries into the cabin, appearing on door sills, console and registers, and even features a cleaver matte No. 5 roundel on the door panels. Ebony Alcantara^®-wrapped carbon fiber seats feature gold accent stitching, while embossed seating surfaces and head restraints carry a debossed GT logo. The instrument panel is wrapped in Ebony leather and Alcantara; pillars and headliner are wrapped exclusively in Ebony Alcantara.

Gold appliqués on the instrument panel, door register bezels and seat X-brace are paired with the matte carbon fiber on the registers, door sills, lower A-pillars and console. The steering wheel is finished in Ebony Alcantara with black stitching, while dual-clutch paddle shifters are finished in exterior-matching Holman Moody Gold.

The Ford GT Heritage Edition Series celebrates the Supercar’s landmark moments in motorsports history, including, of course, its Le Mans titles. In all, the series includes nine ultra-limited-edition supercars, with two still in production. These include:

‘22 Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition honoring the No. 16 Alan Mann Ford GT MK I lightweight experimental prototype that helped pave the way for the 1-2-3 sweep at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans; currently in production

‘22 Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition honoring Ford GT’s roots and the earliest five original Ford GT prototypes; currently in production

‘21 Ford GT ’66 Daytona Heritage Edition honoring the Ford GT MK II No. 98 race car that gave Ford a 1-2-3-5 domination at Daytona in 1966, kicking off a magical season for the Ford GT40 MK II; only 50 built

‘20 Ford GT ’69 Gulf Livery Heritage Edition honoring the Ford GT40 MK I No. 6 race car that was victorious at Le Mans in 1969; only 50 built

‘19 Ford GT ’68 Gulf Livery Heritage Edition honoring Ford GT40 MK I No. 9 race car that was victorious at Le Mans in 1968; only 50 built

‘18 Ford GT ’67 Heritage Edition honoring Ford GT40 MK IV No. 1 race car that was victorious at Le Mans in 1967; only 39 built

‘17 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition honoring Ford GT40 MK II No. 2 that won 1966 Le Mans race; only 27 built

‘06 Ford GT Gulf Livery Heritage Edition commemorating GT40’s back-to-back 24 Hours of Le Mans titles in 1968 and 1969; only 343 built. In 2006 Ford also built 541 Tungsten Grey GTs to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the 1-2-3 win at Le Mans.

The ’22 FORD GT: HOLMAN MOODY HERITAGE EDITION breaks cover at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, April 15-24, and is available for approved Ford GT customers, with first deliveries taking place this spring. For more Ford GT information, please visit https://www.ford.com/performance/gt/

Check out details about the 2022 New York International Auto Show @ https://autoshowny.com/