The Ford that Beat Ferrari: A Racing History of the GT40 (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Gordon Jones (Author), Jacky Ickx (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Henry Ford was angry. He had just been spurned by the enigmatic Enzo Ferrari who had finally told him in no uncertain terms, "Non! I won’t sell Ferrari Automobili." Henry wanted to get even and to hit hard, fast and where it would hurt the most: at Le Mans 24-hours, the most prestigious race in the world. But first he needed a car. The Shelby Cobras had earlier conquered in the GT class, but overall victory was not theirs. Instead Mr. Ford chose a British prototype, the Lola GT, from which he developed the quintessential ‘60s sportscar as his battle weapon: the Ford GT-40. (40 for forty inches high!). It was a technical, aesthetic, and racing tour-de-force…placing 1-2-3 at Le Mans in 1966, with further victories in the next three consecutive years. This new edition is a re-designed and updated history of the classic 1985 edition that commands hundreds of dollars from collectors. On the cover is the most extraordinary GT40 of all: the 1075, which won six international endurance races and covered 11,963 racing miles, on its way to victory in the 1969 Sebring 12 Hours, driven by Jackie Ickx and Jackie Oliver. Throughout are photos and stories that make this book a must for any serious racing enthusiast or Ford aficionado.

About the Author

John Allen has an internationally-renowned collection of sports car photographs. He lives in England, but has recently retired from full-time work to focus on making his collection better known to the world. Gordon Jones was brought up in Sussex between the Brighton Speed Trials and Goodwood.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Haynes Publishing; 1st edition (November 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844251136
• ISBN-13: 978-1844251131
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #552,905 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Porscshephile GT40 fan, February 16, 2006

By	Frederick L. Howard - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book in question..."The Ford That Beat Ferrari: A Racing History" turns out to be exactly that...as well as all that was implied by by Amazon's outstanding website. I know that this sounds like a " so what " statement, but it's not. I find most things do not live up to thier hype. So, when something does, it IS note-worthy.
As a side-bar, I am not your usual Ford fan. I am a die-hard Porsche nut...six real cars, hundreds of models and a complete library of all books ever written on the subject. So, why the deviation? Easy! It seems that a great many of the best drivers of Porsche race cars came over from Ford...and this fact provides me with yet another perspective. I highly recommend other Porschiphiles do the same. As Paul Harvey says, It just might give you " the rest of the story ".

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are going to buy a book on the GT40, this should be the one., December 20, 2006

By	Steve DeVaux (Dracut, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are a couple of other great books on the GT40, but this one has some of the best period photographs along with its well written text. Other books also spend a lot of time covering the 1966 LeMans MK11s and the Gulf liveried LeMans winners of '68 and '69. This book does cover them as they are historically important cars, but the privateers like Comstock and Scuderia Bear are also covered.
Chapters cover construction and testing, races such as LeMans, Sebring, Daytona, and the many private GT40 teams and cars.
This book should be on every racing enthusiasts shelf.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Ford that Beat Ferrari: A Racing History of the GT40, August 23, 2007

By	Michael A. Redmann "Michael Redmann" (East Peoria, Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a good book, but not a great book. I own several other books by the author, John Allen, on similar subjects and there is a definite bias towards a british view of the subject. I have read about every book available about the mid-sixties era of racing, especially the Ford contribuiton. Although I feel very knowledgeable on the subject, this book still filled in many empty areas I have on the subject and did it in a fairly enjoyable fashion. Having already stated I own many books on this subject I still am happy that I purchased this one. It is one of the better books on this subject. Enjoy