Since the arrival of the automobile, almost every decade has produced its share of notable competition cars (a trend that will hopefully continue). For many, the 1960s provided more than its fair share of memorable sports and GT race cars from the Maserati Birdcage, Porsche 917, Lola T70, Shelby-AC Cobra and several Ferraris, in particular the 250GTO that even today is considered a high-point in GT car design.
But if one car in particular could claim to represent the spirit of the era, the Ford GT40 would be placed at or near the top of many peoples lists. Despite an inauspicious debut, due to having been developed in public over the course of two seasons, the GT project was handed over to the Shelby American team to create a reliable, competitive race car. As a result, the GT40 evolved into not only a compact, purposeful-looking race car but a design that still looks modern sixty years later, proving that function can dictate form and in the process create something beautiful. Inevitably, with so few built, rarity and desirability caused values to rise. The photograph illustrates the efficient and instantly recognisable form of the GT40; it was taken during an Historic race meeting at Donington Park in 2007 and the car is GT P/1018, owned and driven by Ray Bellm.
(Having been recently restored to road/race specifications and painted in its original colour of maroon, P/1018 is currently offered for sale by Fiskens of London)
From the book ‘Moments in Motorsport’ by Trevor Legate
