[DON S.]

Initially (1964), the GT40 had 8" Borrani wire wheels in the rear. In 1965, when Shelby took over the racing effort from FAV, the Borranis were replaced with Halibrand magnesium wheels. By 1966, rear wheel width had grown to 9-1/2" (Halibrand) and 10" (the "BRM" wheel), as my GT40 #P1040 used at Le Mans that year. When Gulf began sponsoring the GT40s in 1968, rear wheel widths increased again to 12" and even 14" for some events. The expanding width of the rear wheels over the 6 years that the GT40s were intensively raced (from 8" Borranis in 1964 to 14" BRMs in 1968/69) was the driver of the expanding width of the rear "hips."