NEWS: Slot.it Ford GT40 Mk. I 'Spa'

Slot.it Ford GT40 Mk. I
CA18c, 'Peter Sutcliffe Limited', 1000km Spa-Francorchamps 1966

Slot.it are due to release the Peter Sutcliffe Ford GT40 which competed in the 1000km Spa in 1966. The car was driven by Peter Sutcliffe and Brian Redman and finished 4th completing 68 laps, the race was won by SpA Ferrari SEFAC's Ferrari 330 P3 completing 71 laps.  For some reason I've never been a huge fan of Slot.it's GT40 (although I own several) preferring NSR's version of the famous race car on my track.  Slot.it's offering is probably a more accurate depiction of the motorcar however.

The Peter Sutcliffe GT40 livery is impressive with a clear absence of sponsorship giving you a full appreciation for the GT40's beautiful body lines.

From the Slot.it Team: 'The Ford GT40 is one of the most famous cars in Le Mans history, having won the 24-Hour race four times in a row. In 1966 it was with the Mk II version, in 1967 with the Mk IV, in 1968 and 1969 with the first one, Mk I. It was built to compete against Ferrari, who had won Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965. 

The development of ‘Mk I’ was carried mainly by Ford Advanced Vehi- cle in England, joined in 1965 by Carroll Shelby. It was a car built for racing, but also for road circulation; the name ‘GT40’ comes from the height from ground, which is 40 inches. The chassis was a steel semi - monocoque, the body was made of fiberglass.

The engine came from the one used on the AC Cobra, with cast-iron block and head: naturally aspired V8, 4.7 litres displacement, 2 val- ves per cylinder operated by a central camshaft with push-rod; it was coupled with a ZF 5 speeds gearbox. Brakes were provided with vented discs on all the four wheels. The green GT40 that ran the 1966 Spa 1000 km with number 40 was owned by the British team Peter Sutcliffe Limited; its chassis number was 1009, registered in Johannesburg with number TJ3 406. The car was driven by Peter Sutcliffe himself and Brian Redman.'

  From Wikipedia: 'The Mk I was the original Ford GT40. Early prototypes were powered by 4.2 litre (255 cu.in) alloy V8 engines and production models were powered by 4.7 litre (289 cu.in) engines as used in the Ford Mustang. Five prototype models were built with roadster bodywork, including the Ford X-1.

The GT40 was originally produced to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). Chassis # P-1075, which won in 1968 and 1969, is the first car in Le Mans history to win the race more than once with the same chassis, using a Ford engine originally of 4.7-litre displacement capacity, enlarged to 4.9-litre (also known as a 5.0) with special alloy Gurney-Weslake cylinder head.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.2 litre, 4.7 litre and 7 litre) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 litres or 4.0 litres.'

This onboard (GT40 Mk I) footage is from Spa Francorchamps 2011 and although not 1966 it's still well worth a good look for the stunning GT40s and Lola T70's, etc.

 

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