[DeTomaso] Fwd: New Product!

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/15/07 12 26 47, michaelsavga at gmail.com writes:


> In both the GT (not ever really named a GT40, that was a nickname, inside
> Ford, it was called the J Car, )
> 

True, if you are only speaking about the Ford GT Mk IV, and not the GT40.

The GT40 was initially called the Ford GT in 1964, but very soon in its 
gestation, FAV (Ford Advanced Vehicles, the manufacturer of the car, which was a 
small, wholly-owned British subsidiary of Ford) renamed it the Ford GT40.   All 
the internal documentation, parts manuals, VIN plates, etc. etc. etc. call it 
the GT40.

The J-car was a brief, experimental, 100% American program seeking to find a 
replacement for the GT40.   It featured a totally different chassis, made from 
aluminum honeycomb glued together, instead of pressed steel (which was a very 
radical departure for early 1966).   It's only public appearance was at the 
Le Mans test days, where it performed quite poorly due to aerodynamic problems.

The design was a dismal failure, culminating in the tragic death of Ken Miles 
during testing at Willow Springs (the chassis also deformed dramatically 
during the crash, and was substantially weaker than a standard GT40 chassis).   
The chassis design did have promise however, and formed the basis for a 
much-improved version which became the Ford GT Mk IV (*that* car was never formally 
called a GT40), when went on to race only twice (Sebring and Le Mans '67, 
winning the latter).

Mike


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