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allanfeldman · 12-02-07, 06:25 PM

One thing being an anorak like I am is that the Roadster and X-1 (1965) were never offically designated as Ford GT40. As far as I can tell when the GT40 production run started the car were then offically called Ford GT40. But this was not until the definative nose first used on P1006 at Le Mans 1965. The first production car to be assigned this name (not the first numbered) was delivered in May 1965. So with hindsight you could also call the car a MK1 but at the time it would not have been called this since no one had a crystal ball or could see the future. In the same way the original race program and the first twelve prototype chassis were known on by the prefix GT.
So people now calling them GT40's and even some of the press at the time were wrong. There is documentation that GT40 was mention in the final Prototypes chassis paperwork GT112. Incidentially my crusade on this is out of curiosity rather than a witch hunt. And I would gladly bow to other opinions that have backup evidence. But I kind of agreed to a point with Carrol Shelby's view that especially the early cars up to 1965 were nicknamed GT40 by the press (especially the British).
Regards Allan

12-02-07, 06:25 PM	#9 (permalink)
allanfeldman 3 Tenths Join Date: Mar 2004 GT40: LONDON Posts: 397 Rep Power: 8	Re: Spyder GT40 One thing being an anorak like I am is that the Roadster and X-1 (1965) were never offically designated as Ford GT40. As far as I can tell when the GT40 production run started the car were then offically called Ford GT40. But this was not until the definative nose first used on P1006 at Le Mans 1965. The first production car to be assigned this name (not the first numbered) was delivered in May 1965. So with hindsight you could also call the car a MK1 but at the time it would not have been called this since no one had a crystal ball or could see the future. In the same way the original race program and the first twelve prototype chassis were known on by the prefix GT. So people now calling them GT40's and even some of the press at the time were wrong. There is documentation that GT40 was mention in the final Prototypes chassis paperwork GT112. Incidentially my crusade on this is out of curiosity rather than a witch hunt. And I would gladly bow to other opinions that have backup evidence. But I kind of agreed to a point with Carrol Shelby's view that especially the early cars up to 1965 were nicknamed GT40 by the press (especially the British). Regards Allan Last edited by allanfeldman; 12-02-07 at 06:35 PM.