Imported Excellence

From 1964 through 1969, Ford’s GT40 made racing history as the foremost race effort to come out of Detroit during that decade. Approximately 100 were built as a result of the partnership between Ford and Lola Cars Ltd. Such racing legends as Bruce McLaren, Jackie Ickx, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Bob Bondurant, and Phil Hill took the sleek, sexy 40 to victory at venues such as LeMans, Sebring, and Daytona.

The “40” portion of the model name comes from the 40-inch height from the bottom of the tire to the top of the roof. Powered by Ford’s 289ci V-8, the Ford Advanced Vehicles team breezed past Cobras and Ferraris to win its spurs on the track. The ’64 prototype had an aluminum Ford 255 V-8 in it, and the car still hit 215 in the straights at LeMans.

While today’s kit replicas have added softened suspension, room for luggage, and in many cases, lefthand drive, the exotic 40 was a car whose beginnings may have been in Detroit, but whose legend was built in Europe.

Now, in America, the GT40 is back in force in replicar form, and among those sizzling on the scene are two savvy manufacturers from foreign shores—Roaring Forties (R-40s) from Australia, and California Advanced Vehicles (C.A.V.) from South Africa.

I caught up with both the manufacturers and their cars at last year’s Carlisle Kit Car Nationals and was impressed by their design and quality.