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| Ford GT40 Mk III |
| Article | Image gallery (41) | Chassis (3) | Specifications |
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Page 1 of 1  Looking for at least a partial return on their vast investment, Ford added a road going version to the GT40 line-up in 1965. Apart from a slightly detuned engine and wire wheels, there was little that distinguished the competition and street versions of the GT40. There was nevertheless a demand for the fastest Ford road car ever, particularly in the United States. Unfortunately, it did not comply with the stricter American legal requirements on various grounds and the right-hand drive only configuration also deterred potential clients.These issues were addressed by a second road going GT40, which featured so many changes that it received a new type name. Known as the Mark III, it was still based on the same steel monocoque chassis as the successful racer. This was filled with foam where possible for sound deadening and added safety. The sill-mounted rubber bag tanks were replaced by stronger but smaller aluminium tanks. A more fundamental change was the relocation of the gear-shifter to the centre console to accommodate for a potential left-hand drive configuration. Like the earlier road going GT40, the Mk III used a milder specification of the Ford small-block. This was virtually identical to the one used in the Shelby Mustang GT350 and produced just over 300 bhp. To create some luggage space, the 'spaghetti' exhaust system of the competition car was replaced by a more straightforward configuration that exited on either side of the gearbox. This did hamper performance but allowed a box to be fitted on top of the gearbox. Due to this location, the contents of the box did have the tendency to get very hot. To meet the American legal requirements, the Mk III was fitted with a revised nose. This featured higher mounted headlights. They were also bigger to house four circular lamps instead of the two square units previously used. The rear bodywork was also revised and lengthened to make room for the luggage box. To suit its road going needs, the interior was fully upholstered complete with leather seats. The central feature of the dashboard was the tachometer, while the speedometer was at the furthest corner of the instrument cluster. Tasked with the construction of the Mk III was JW Automotive, which had taken over after Ford Advanced Vehicles had ceased operation at the end of 1967, effectively under the same management. The ties with Ford nevertheless remained close and the manufacturer was responsible for the marketing and distribution of the cars. In the United States, the car received a sticker price of $18,500, making it easily the most expensive Ford ever offered. This was also a full $2,000 more than the 'standard' GT40 competition cars. As was never the case with earlier GT40 variants, Ford struggled to find buyers for the Mk III. The steep price did not help but a more serious issue was that the car still was not particularly suitable for use on the road. This despite of and, in some cases, also because of the modifications; the elaborate gear linkage unique to the Mk III made precise shifts virtually impossible. Contemporary road testers also complained about the quality of the finish and the poor reliability. Eventually only seven Mk IIIs were built between 1967 and 1969 and even fewer were sold directly to a customer. Among these handful of customers was famous conductor Herbert von Karajan. Most of the others were retained by Ford for promotional purposes, while JW Automotive's John Wyer used one as his personal transport. Page 1 of 1 |
| Article | Image gallery (41) | Chassis (3) | Specifications |
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