![]() The 427 Cobra did 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, 0-100 mph in 10.2 seconds, and had a top speed of 160 mph. Ford got out of racing.Ĭarroll Shelby’s objective, aside from winning Le Mans, was also to design and build the world’s fastest production sports car - and he did in 1965. Ford concluded there was nothing left to prove. ![]() What’s more, Ford did it three more times before Mr. It was a picture-perfect finish with Ford leading the pack ahead of Ferrari. It took the extensive knowledge and experience of Miles and Shelby to make the GT40 not only an endurance race finisher-but also a winner against Ferrari. Once Ford achieved solid durability in the 427, it went to work on the GT40 racecar chassis, which was a tremendous challenge. Ford engineers had to develop a completely different “side oiling” system that ensured main bearings got adequate lubrication. The FE’s oiling system fell short, with main bearings becoming oil starved at high rpm. Still-racers continued to scatter 427s all over racetracks from coast to coast, especially in NASCAR competition. Only very few 406 engines were cross bolted, swiftly replaced by the big-bore 427.Ĭross-bolting the 427’s main caps and giving the block thicker main webs were valiant first steps. This quest began in 1962 with the 406 and a cross-bolted main cap block. Ford learned in educational baby steps how to make the 427 more durable. The Side Oiler was the result of extensive research and development and having your keister handed to you repeatedly on the racetrack. Ford was center stage using the phenomenal power of an American big-block V-8 and the experience of seasoned drivers who knew how to stay the course and win.Īt the heart of these Le Mans wins was Ford’s 427ci “Side Oiler” FE Series big-block V8. This took great teamwork-world class drivers and the eye-opening Ford GT-to corral these wins. That spectacle was followed by three consecutive Le Mans wins-Ford’s glory, and surely Ferrari’s public humiliation-spanked by an American supercar and a large V-8. Beat Ferrari at all costs.Īt Le Mans in 1966, Shelby and Miles, and drivers Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon came in with Ford’s first Le Mans win. However, Shelby had Ford’s attention and support. Shelby’s position was simple-either get on board or stay on the porch. It was going to require more money and resources to win Le Mans. Carroll Shelby, who was never short on words, explained to Ford what it was going to take to win. Of course, Ford was never going to find anyone as qualified as Miles and Shelby. Ford’s words were simple and concise to Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. Defeats in 1964-65 turned up the heat at Ford. Winning Le Mans was never going to be easy for Ford. These wins prepared Ford for the exhausting journey to Le Mans. Ford’s great racing success began domestically at Daytona, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen and a host of other racing venues. Getting there would be a monumental task. The goal was to kick Ferrari’s butt at Le Mans. Ford decided to build one heck of a racing operation within the Ford Motor Company and beat Enzo Ferrari at his own game. That wasn’t going to happen at any price. Ford wanted complete control of Ferrari’s racing operations as part of the deal. When it came down to the wire, Ferrari backed out, which made Ford’s blue blood boil. Ferrari faced tremendous regional pressure for selling out to an American automaker. (Image/Jim Smart)įord and Ferrari had been in talks for months about a deal for Ford to acquire Ferrari. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Ford began to recover and regain market share. Ford learned this one the hard way in lost sales in the 1970s from disappointing quality and poor customer service. You may win races, however, if you don’t offer the customer a great product and reliability, they will never return for that second purchase. Car buyers like hitching their wagons to successful car companies though this has never really made a difference in the end. Then, as now, what wins on Sunday sells on Monday. Ford saw Ferrari as a means into the European market and worldwide racing success. That automaker was Ferrari.įerrari, facing serious financial woes, was searching for a suitable buyer. To get there, he needed to acquire a European automaker with a reputation for winning. Henry Ford II wanted Ford to be a world class automaker with an impressive resume of global racing wins. It was exclusively about ego and the age-old battle of winning at all costs. It has history unequalled including four consecutive wins at Le Mans in the 1960s when it was all or nothing against Enzo Ferrari on the world’s stage. You’ve got to hand it to Ford as a car company.
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