Reinterpreting a Living Legend: Ford Unveils the New GT40 Concept Car

Ford Motor Company Chairman and CEO Bill Ford, Jr. (L) and Vice President Design J Mays (second from right) applaud racing legends (L-R) Phil Hill, Lloyd Ruby, Bob Bondurant, Carroll Shelby and Jackie Stewart with the Ford GT40 concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit January 6, 2002.

January 2002 (-- When Ford designers began to conceptualize bringing a legendary car to life they chose one that helped change performance car history. A car that re-ignites Henry Ford II's hallmarks of passion, performance and speed -- the GT40. With the GT40, top designers knew that they could do a completely revolutionary design that drew on cues of the past, but interpreted them in a modern surface language to bring to life the new concept car.

The GT40 joins Ford's "Living Legends" lineup of concept cars, including the Ford Thunderbird, Mustang, and the Forty-Nine concept, with its debut at this week's 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was created to foretell and test the future, and as with other Living Legends concepts, the GT40 was engineered from the beginning for production feasibility. Ford's SVT Engineering developed the chassis and powertrain and worked closely with Living Legends designers to ensure the concept would live up to its performance heritage.

The GT40 concept casts the familiar, sleek silhouette of its namesake, however every dimension, curve and line on the car is a unique reinterpretation of the original. The GT40 features a long front overhang reminiscent of 1960s-era racecars, but its sweeping cowl, subtle accent lines and fiber-optic headlamps strike a contemporary pose. The interior design incorporates ventilated seats and instrument layout of the original car, with straightforward analog gauges and large tachometer. Modern versions of the original car's toggle switches operate key systems.

The MOD 5.4-liter V-8 engine and its complex array of polished stainless-steel header pipes, braided stainless steel fuel lines with anodized aluminum fittings and supercharger with intercooler help the GT40 do three things it was created for: go fast, handle exceptionally and look great.