Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Le Mans - Ford GT 40

Le Mans - Ford GT 40

Mere mention of Ferrari would automatically evoke a feeling of class and elegance and we are talking about one of the many top of the range sports cars ever built in this century. Ferrari won the Le mans 24 hours endurance race a total of nine times from 1923 to 2009, those victories came in 1949, 1954, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965. Ferrari appeared to be invisible from 1960 to 1965 until Ford GT 40 came along to break the stranglehold and won its first Le Mans endurance race in 1966 and continued through to 1969.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Tourisme) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules.

The Ford GT 40s that won the Le Mans from 1966 to 1969 were :-

1966 - Ford GT 40 MK II

1967 - Ford GT 40 MK IV

1968 - Ford GT 40

1969 - Ford GT 40

The 1968 and 1969 Le Mans Series were won by the same car Ford GT 40.

The first Ford GT 40 diecast car that I've ever held in my palm is the black 1966 Ford GT 40; produced by Hot Wheels under the "Hall Of Fame" Milestone Moment series. It is truly one of the most beautiful diecast car that I've ever seen.

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