When did you first fall in love with Ford GT40s?

[Beach-GT]

I think I saw one for the first time at Yates_Stevens Ford in St. Louis about 1966. All I remember is the shape. The color was either blue or green and I think it was a street model for sale. It was plain with no stripes or numbers. Seems the price was about $16,000 and knocked me out. Don't remember much after that.

 

[bret a ewing]

1967.
2nd Grade.
I drew it on every paper-bag book cover.

 

[Howard]

I think I'm an outlier. Although I was fully aware of the GT-40 and Ford's LeMans achievement, I can't really say I loved the GT-40 any more than I love the Space Shuttle.....both equally unobtainable then and now. The car I fell in love with was the Ford GT, just out of reach when announced but in my driveway five years later. What a country!

 

[Vince H]

Gulf Oil Building/Tower, downtown Pittsburgh as a kid.





Vince H

 

[KennethClay]

Gulf Oil Building/Tower, downtown Pittsburgh as a kid.

View attachment 48711

Vince, that's a Ford All-Star photo! Wow!

 

[john gourley]

 

[john gourley]

I saw these photos in a magazine article (Esquire or Playboy) couldn’t get them out of my head. Late 60’s if memory serves. Much later found this brochure at Barrett Jackson.

 

[john gourley]

One more shot

 

[STORMCAT]

In 65 and then when Ford won at Le mans

fact checker... Ford didn't win Le Mans Until 1966 ... :biggrin

 

[STORMCAT]

Gulf Oil Building/Tower, downtown Pittsburgh as a kid.

View attachment 48711



Vince H

wait... what?? you were a kid... ??? :biggrin

 

[STORMCAT]

I saw these photos in a magazine article (Esquire or Playboy) couldn’t get them out of my head. Late 60’s if memory serves. Much later found this brochure at Barrett Jackson.

John, John,, If you were looking at play boy in the 60's and remember looking at the car pictures and not the ladies we need to talk !!:lol

 

[Stef]

It all started for me when I was about 9 or 10, in my then grandfathers (then father, now me) construction equipment yard in the early 70's. They had a fleet of FORD 1 and 5 ton stake beds. I was asked by my older brother to help him with some maintenance. My brother was born a mechanic, he seemed to live for turning wrenches and I think he was about 12 or 13 and was already doing full tune ups and carb rebuilds. He is six years ahead of me, and as the saying goes mechanically inclined. So I'm there helping (more like getting in the way) and proceeded to hand him the "tune up kit in a can" I noticed the silhouette on there of some car that looked as if streaking by at 220 MPH! I asked my brother what it was which he replied "a GT-40, the Ford that kicked Ferrari's A$$".
Latter he gave me the magazine pictured here. In an instant I knew I was hooked, this was the greatest car in the world and best of all, it was a Ford!
When I started earning money my spare change went to buy all the literature I could get my hands on about the GT and Ford performance cars. One thing in common among the stories in those days was that this would never likely happen again, they came, they conquered, and now are history. WOW, just look how wrong this turned out to be! If I had seen one in person, or sat in a 40 like Tommy and Chip had, I might have checked to see if I was still alive and not died and gone to heaven. Note, 50 cents for the mag, and LOL, "What kind of crazy laboratory is this?"

 

[NorthwoodGT]

As a kid, I used to design and draw pictures of cars that I thought were cool all the time. of course they all had big fins with bubble roofs. Then came the GT40. It was like I was looking at a space ship from the future. I couldn't believe someone could design the most beautiful car I had ever seen. didn't realize at that time a car didn't have to have massive fins to be awesome! the GT40 has just always struck a chord with me. I never ever wanted a Cobra kit car. It wasn't until ERA came out with their first GT40 kit that I thought I had a shot at owning one. I never did order one but instead got into the big block Mustangs along with Shelbys and Boss 429s. then when the announcement of the new Ford GT in 2003, I thought, that's it! the lines and design are so much like the GT40. Camillo and the design team did such an amazing job making the new car have a lot of throw back to the GT40 I knew I had to own at least one (or more). While I like the new Ford GT and understand the design and principals behind it, the 2005-2006 will always be my favorite because of the GT40 throw back. Believe it or not, there was a used GT40 for sale at Stark Hickey Ford on Woodward in the early eighties up on their display pedestal in the used car lot. I called about it and if memory serves me correctly, it was some ridiculous price of $70-80,000.00. C R A P ! the end

 

[john gourley]

Stormcat. The ladies had superb lines too!

 

[STORMCAT]

Stormcat. The ladies had superb lines too!

Yep.. !! Just messing with you buddy..:biggrin

 

[Flatrod]

[Quote Originally Posted by Flatrod View Post
In 65 and then when Ford won at Le mans

QUOTE=STORMCAT;459248]fact checker... Ford didn't win Le Mans Until 1966 ... :biggrin[/QUOTE]

I first noticed the car in 65, then again in 66 when they won 1,2,3, in Le Mans

 

[Ed Sims]

[/QUOTE]I first noticed the car in 65, then again in 66 when they won 1,2,3, in Le Mans[/QUOTE]

I noticed it in the sixties as well in magazines & in the hobby shop model section.

Ed

PS I won't be in AK this New Years Flatrod. All my AK friends are coming to visit us that weekend! I hope all is ok.

 

[AtomicGT]

Le Mans 1966

 

[AtomicGT]

When Carroll Shelby sent a GT 40 to our Dealership for display and Ford forgot Where it was sent. We were able to display it for 3 months then it was sent back to Detroit a sold to Edsel Ford and now its in the UK where a great gentleman races it. He will be the proud owner of the New GT next year. Check these pictures of that Great GT40.

Great historical photos Mr. Hammond !

 

[Sinovac]

This is a fun thread, reading about all your memories. The reference to Wide World of Sports made me smile. “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat!” I always wondered as a kid how that poor downhill skier survived that mess.

My future father in law, who was and is the most die-hard Ford guy I know, told me as a teenager about this spectacular race car that Ford campaigned in the 1960s. At the time I was heavily into motorcycles and we restored several Triumphs together. We would talk endlessly about all things mechanical as we worked late into the night (he actually knew how the hell a Zener diode worked). His stories about the GT-40 fascinated me. The first time he showed me a picture of one from an ancient, dog eared magazine I was hooked. It was to my eyes, and remains to this day, the most beautiful racecar ever made, particularly the Mk. IV iteration. There is only one other car that has ever struck me as hard, and that is the beautiful Elwood Engel designed 1961 Lincoln Continental. Another “Ford” masterpiece. I’ve passed my love for these cars onto my children and the fond memories continue to accrue.

Every time I see any variant of the Ford GT, old and new, a flood of fond memories fills my head. Oddly, this inanimate object seems part of my family.