GT40 UNCOVERED!

Showcasing original technical drawings, cutaways and period photos, GT40 UNCOVERED! treats readers to a unique look at the engineering story of Ford’s multiple Le Mans winners: GT40, Mark II and Mark IV.

GT40 UNCOVERED!GT40 UNCOVERED is more than simply a book. It’s a lavish production of a condensed research library, giving the reader rare access to the evolution of Ford’s iconic Le Mans-winning GT racecar via an almost endless cache of archival blueprints, drawings and photos. There are more than 250 original technical drawings, plus illustrations, graphics supporting period photos. Coverage also includes the Mark I and Mark III GT40 road cars. Calling GT40 UNCOVERED! “a book” is akin to labeling Ferrari’s 250 GTO, “a car.”

GT40 UNCOVERED!

From birth as Roy Lunn’s Lola MK6-influenced Ford GT to the retired Le Mans winning Mark IV, this museum-quality book not only covers the interior and exterior details of each car line, but chapters are devoted to Concept, Chassis, Engines & Transmissions (transaxles) as well as Suspension, Brakes & Steering. The engine chapter covers the 255 Indy, 289 race and road, small-block Gurney Weslake and the 427 that powered the 1966 and 1967 Le Mans-winning Mark IIs. Plus, stunning cutaways of Claude Nahum’s GT/101 R, and GT40 P/1078 and Mark II P/1016.

To better understand the quality presentation of this book – a 176-page, cloth-covered hardback measuring 16.5 x 16.5 inches – one only has to look at the resumes of its author and co-author, Claude Nahum and Steve Rendle, respectively. Nahum raced while he was going to engineering college and in 2002 bought his first GT40 and competed in historic racing. Since then, he has owned a second GT40 and has commissioned two concours-quality recreations. He owns a treasure-trove of original GT40 drawings, but is probably best known for his GT/101 R, a superb recreation of the long-gone first Ford GT prototype, above, currently on display at the museum at Le Mans.

One of the high points Nahum experienced while working on this book was taking legendary Ford racing engine builder Mose Nowland for a ride in GT/101 R at Goodwood, above. Nowland was involved in the building of 427 Le Mans engines at Ford Engineering and was the recipient of the Spirit of Ford award in 2005 for 57 years as a Senior Motorsports Engineer. Co-Author Rendle is a passionate motorsports enthusiast, technical writer, editor, author, and publishing project manager.

Considering its size, price ($420 to $600) and quality, exactly who was this oversize, highly technical tome actually written for? Certainly, not the enthusiast looking to add another coffee table book to his collection. However, if you own a real Ford GT, GT40, Mark II, are considering buying, or in the process, of restoring one, or constructing a replica, it was written for you. Racing historians, research libraries, and racecar museum curators should own copies.

GT40 UNCOVERED!

 

As an automotive journalist, author, editor of Hi-Performance CARS magazine in the 1960s-1970s, who road tested the prototype GT40 Mark III in 1967, was longtime friend of the late GT40 Godfather, Roy Lunn, left, and owner of a 2006 Ford GT, I highly recommend this impressive tome.

Because of the limited number produced (365 copies), I suggest ordering now or be prepared to pay a lot more when copies pop-up on the secondary market. For more information about GT40 UNCOVERED! ordering details, pricing and its publisher, please visit, https://porterpress.co.uk/products/ford-gt40-book