Ford GT History

Dan Gurney, the All American Racer, raced Fords for most of his illustrious career. In 1967, he ran Ford-powered Indy cars, Ford stockers in NASCAR--even a Mercury in Trans-Am. Teamed with A.J. Foyt, Gurney won the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year in a 427-powered Mark IV. And, yes, the now de rigueur tradition of spraying the crowd with champagne from the winner's podium was born here.

Gurney and A.J. pop the cork at Le Mans.

I'd put the GT40 somewhere in between a really good street sports car and an all-out race car. I didn't drive the GT40 with the 302 in it, even though they were using our [Gurney Weslake] cylinder heads. I drove the 427 Mark II and Mark IV.

They were able to go fast enough to where aero was important. The front ride height dictated whether you had much lift or not, while the rear spoiler dictated downforce. I'd say the Mark IV's Achilles' heel, if you were really trying hard, was the brakes. The car was fast, but it had a lot of weight and stored up a lot of energy, and you had to take it out with the brakes. It was well-balanced, with a lot of torque. It didn't have a huge amount of top-end power, but enough to get the job done. It stayed with you all the way. No surprises. Dial it in to its sweet spot, and you were going to have a good time driving it.

I love the new GT. I was somehow expecting less. I'm impressed with the fact that it still looks authentic, but it's bigger, easier to get in and out of. The way they could grow it, and yet have all the proportions be the same, was a real achievement. I love the way the interior looks; I like the sound of the engine, the "sense" you get of the car. I love the steering; it gives you real good feel for what's going on--a car should tell you where you are and what it's doing--the GT's steering is close to perfect.

I'm proud that even under difficult circumstances and during challenging times, this company stepped up and did it. It made me feel like "Damn it, the Americans still have guts!" To do something like that, you've got to have more than just a pure beancounter mentality, you've got to have passion. The public will perceive this positively. I'm stoked.