Ford GT40 Papercraft (Gulf Edition) by Wongday
Ford GT40 Papercraft (Gulf Edition)
Nostalgia The Birth of the Ford GT40, Starting From Called A Failed Race Car To Become A Ferrari Killer!
For those of you who have watched the film Ford vs Ferrari, it seems that you are already familiar with the Ford GT40.
This Ford GT40 is the first American car to beat a Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race
Before this Ford GT40 got the nickname 'Ferrari Killer', it turns out that the story of the birth of this car is also fun to discuss.
The story is that in the early 1960s, Ford's boss at the time, Henry Ford II, wondered if his company could compete in the world of international motorsport.
As a first step, Henry Ford II had Ford's ambition to become a champion in what he considered the most competitive racing event at that time, namely the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the 1960s, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was dominated by European car brands such as Ferrari, Porsche, and Alfa Romeo.
Ford plans to buy one of these manufacturers so that its racing program can be successful.
Because at that time Ferrari was the most dominating, Henry Ford II was interested in buying the Italian manufacturer.
Enzo Ferrari was also attracted by Henry Ford II's offer, and the two of them decided to meet to discuss the takeover of the company.
But unfortunately, the meeting did not produce results, the article Enzo Ferrari explicitly rejected one of the points in the contract which stated that Ferrari must also hand over its racing division to Ford.
Enzo Ferrari and the rest of the Ferrari staff immediately left the meeting room, even though Henry Ford II had flown to Italy and prepared millions of dollars for the deal.
After returning to America, Henry Ford II immediately gathered his staff in a room and clearly stated his main goal at the time: race at Le Mans and beat Ferrari!
Furthermore, Ford made a new headquarters in London which was named Ford Advanced Vehicles, the reason being to be closer to its rivals based in Italy.
Finally, in 1964, the car that was predicted to beat Ferrari was introduced, namely the Ford GT40.
The first Ford GT40 is equipped with a 4,700 cc V8 engine, similar to that used in the Lola GT and Lotus 29 race cars, but has been modified to give it a kicker performance.
In the same year, the Ford GT40 finally met its rival Ferrari 275P at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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Luck was still not on Henry Ford II's side, because of the three Ford GT40 units that entered the race, all them failed to finish.
The public also considered that the Ford GT40 was touted as a 'failed' project.
On the other hand, it was Ferrari who became the winner, Henry Ford II was again humiliated by the Prancing Horse team.
Returning to America, this time Henry Ford II decided to work with Carroll Shelby, who was already famous for his work in the Daytona endurance racing event.
Carol Shelby found many problems with the first generation Ford GT40, such as in the engine, aerodynamics, gearbox, and much more.
After being modified by Shelby, finally the latest generation Ford GT40 was born.
Ford GT40 MK II designed by Caroll Shelby
The Ford GT40, made by Caroll Shelby, now uses a V8 engine, which previously had 350 horsepower, but then swelled to 450 horsepower.
In preparation for the Le Mans race, in February 1965, the Ford GT40 entered the Daytona 2000 endurance race.
From this event, a speck of hope began to emerge, the Ford GT40, which was launched for hundreds of kilometers non-stop, managed to become the champion in the prototype class.
The following year, the Ford GT40 piloted by Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren also won other endurance races such as 24 hours of Daytona and 12 hours of Sebring.
But what is eagerly awaited is of course the race at Le Mans.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans 1966 became a means of proving that the Ford GT40 was no longer 'fragile'.
At the start of the race, three Ford GT40 units led the way, followed by a Ferrari 330 behind.
But into the night, Ferrari was able to overtake the three Ford GT40 units in front of him and lead the race until the next day.
This is where new luck favors Ford, the Ferrari 330 which is leading the way suddenly has a tire burst and crashes.
The three Ford GT40 units again led the race and were able to maintain a 1-2-3 position until the finish flag was raised.
Henry Ford's efforts have paid off to build a racing car that can beat Ferrari, earning him the nickname 'Ferrari Killer'.
After Ford's 1966 victory, Ferrari has never won again at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Ford GT40 finishes 1-2-3 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Ford GT40 finished 1-2-3 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1966
In contrast to Ford who is now the reigning champion at Le Mans from 1966 to 1969 with his Ford GT40.
The Ford GT40 is a racing prototype, only in 2005, the Ford GT was born, which is none other than a road-legal replica of the GT40.
The Ford GT is also equipped with a V8 engine, but this one has been supercharged.
It is claimed that the Ford GT can go 0-100 km/h in under 3.8 seconds, while the top speed can reach 328 km/h!
Then in 2015 the latest generation Ford GT was launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ford's victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The latest Ford GT is equipped with a V6 twin-turbo Ecoboost engine capable of spewing power up to 647 hp.
The 0-100 km/h speed can be completed in just 2.8 seconds and the top speed can be up to 345 km/h.
Ford GT40 Papercraft (Gulf Edition) Template
- Dimensions: 224 x 104 x 53
- Scale: 1/18
- Number of Pages: 3 A4 pages
- Difficulty level: moderate to advanced
Download Ford GT40 papercraft template designed by Wongday below:
Ford GT40 Papercraft
