Ford GT40: How an Underdog Passes a Big Dog

Enzo Ferrari’s refusal to sell Ferrari to the Ford Motor Company in 1963 set into action one of the great rivalries and stories of sportscar racing history. It also led to the birth of the GT40, so we’re pretty thrilled about that!

Get to know the story a little better, and spend an all-too-brief two minutes with a 1967 Ford GT40 in this video.

“Henry decided that he wanted to win Le Mans. He set is sights on the most prestigious race, certainly in Europe, at the time.” – Carroll Shelby

I couldn’t be happier that Enzo refused to sell his beloved Ferrari to Ford. All too many boutique sportscar producers have been gobbled up by the big guys! And between the motorsport arms race that developed the GT40 and gave sportscar racing an almighty shove forward, and the output of Ferrari since, that decision has produced an all-round more interesting motorsport world.

This video may be a promotional piece for some kind of sales platform, but it’s one that’s beautifully-shot and does a great job of telling the story of Ford and Ferrari’s rivalry. It presents some wonderful footage of the GT40 at golden hour at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah set to inspiring period interview audio from key players in the fight.

MORE: Video: Conserving the ’67 Le Mans winning GT40

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