One of the most interesting components of mechanical engineering is motor-sports, and nothing amps up the adrenaline more than automotive rivalries. That feeling when two titans clash with each other to achieve perfection is nothing sort of satisfying. And one of such great automotive rivalry was that between Ford and Ferrari. For the many of us who have seen the Ford v Ferrari (2019) movie, we may be aware of the broad aspect of the rivalry, and the greatness of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, but there are a lot of details that we may have not known otherwise.
This story begins in the early 1960s with Ford coming out of a major sales slide thanks to a bunch of failed products and the growing popularity of rival products from GM and Chrysler. Top executives, including Ford Division general manager Lee Iacocca, convinced Henry Ford II, the CEO of Ford, that the answer was to launch a sports car for the younger generation to rebuild the company image. However since Ford hadn’t ventured in this domain before, it was decided that the most convenient way to bring a vehicle to market would be to acquire one, with particularly Ferrari in mind. In those years, Ferrari was primarily a race car company that sold street-legal machines only to fund its track exploits. But when Enzo, baulked at losing the autonomy he so cherished, he sent the Americans back empty-handed. To add even more insult to injury, Enzo, (who may have never had the intention of selling his company to Ford), then turned around and sold a majority stake in Ferrari to fellow Italian automaker Fiat. Empty-handed on his return to Detroit, Ford’s point man, Don Frey, was told by Henry Ford II to ‘go to Le Mans, and beat Enzo’s ass.’ or so the legend goes, leading to the formation of the High Performance and Special Models Operation Unit was formed.
The unit’s resulting work, the GT Program book, contained the initial design concepts for the GT40. The high-performance team included Ford’s Roy Lunn (father of modern SUV), Carroll Shelby and a few other Ford officials. New Zealander Bruce McLaren was the initial test track driver as the car was put through its paces. Early issues with the car were apparent as the Ford Motor Company team tried to accomplish in 10 months what Ferrari had perfected over decades.
While the first batch of GT40s was fast, they were also incredibly unstable and unreliable. And the brakes were downright dangerous. Ultimately, the Ford team couldn’t figure out how to make the cars stay firmly on the tarmac, let alone run continuously for 24 hours at Le Mans.
Shelby and Miles first improved the handling and stability of the vehicle by improving its aerodynamics through flow testing. They taped wool streamers or tufts to the exterior of the car to see how air travelled over and around the vehicle. The data collected allowed Miles and Shelby to make body and suspension modifications that helped the GT40 be more stable and manoeuvrable on the track. The brake problem was solved by Phil Remington, an engineer on the Ford team. He devised a quick-change brake system that allowed the mechanics to swap in new pads and rotors during a driver change, so the team didn’t have to worry about making the brakes last the entire race. To address reliability issues, the team used a dynamometer. A standard practice today, putting an engine on a dyno, as it is commonly known, was revolutionary in the mid-sixties. A dynamometer is a device that can measure force, power, and speed—so you can figure out how much power you need or how much you have on hand.
All their hard work paid off, and the GT40 Mk. II was born. Ford didn’t just defeat Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966, it humiliated the Italian stallions. While Ferrari didn’t even have a car that completed the race, GT40 Mk. II’s captured first, second and third places. Sadly, Miles died before he could race at Le Mans again. Late in 1966, he was testing another Ford race car at Riverside International Raceway in California when he lost control and crashed. Miles did not survive the accident. Ford, meanwhile, got a second taste of vengeance the following year at Le Mans—a Ford GT40 Mk. IV built by Shelby won the 1967 race. Ferrari finished second.
CURRENT SCENARIO
While Ferrari is still a racing-oriented company with one of the most successful F1 teams, Ford having tried its hands with F1 in the past from 2000-2004 under the guide of its then subsidiary Jaguar, has primarily stuck to endurance racing like NASCAR and FIA World Cross events. And Ford’s car portfolio is also a testament that the company is not interested in going through the sports car route anymore. So it is safe to assume now that all the rivalry that was between Ford and Ferrari is a thing of the past.
Ferrari 330 P3
Engine - 4.0L V12
Top speed - 310kmph
Max power - 420 bhp
Dry Weight - 851 kg
Total displacement - 3967.44 cc
Ford GT40 MK ii
Engine - 7.0L V8
Top speed - 330kmph
Max power - 485 bhp
Dry Weight - 1015 kg
Total displacement - 6997 cc
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