In the mid-1960s, Ford set out to beat Ferrari in the Italian automaker’s favored arena: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After two disappointing attempts, Ford succeeded in 1966 by finishing first, second and third with the GT40 Mark II. To defend its title in 1967, Ford created an all-new car. Only the engine and transmission remained from the Mark II. The new car’s aircraft-inspired honeycomb aluminum construction reduced weight and improved strength, while its aerodynamic body held it to the road. Ford entered four Mark IV’s at Le Mans.
This MK IV Racing Coupe is the car that caused much controversy among 1967 Le Mans race organizers. This would lead to the rules being rewritten in an attempt to ‘outlaw’ the cars. These were Ford’s most advanced racing cars and entirely the product of Ford-Dearborn.
The driving team of Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt (a rookie at LeMans) would take the lead in the second hour of the 24-hour enduro on the Sarthe circuit, and set such a blistering pace that all seven of Ferrari’s latest 4-liter prototypes and both of Jim Hall’s Chaparrals could not keep up. The all-American team, entered by Shelby American, raced this MK IV to surpass 5,000 kilometers in 24 hours. This would be a first in LeMans history, setting new speed and distance records hour after hour. It crossed the finish line 32 miles ahead of the nearest Ferrari and set an average race speed record of 135.48 mph.
Organizers attempted to sideline the Fords by bringing the cars in for a ground clearance check. That ploy to improve Ferrari and Porsche’s chances to win was rebuffed with the threat of withdrawal of all the Fords. With 41 of 54 entries in the prototype class, the 1967 24 Hour of Le Mans was the most heavily contested in history, having been won the year before by a 7-liter Ford GT MK II.
Using honeycomb aluminum and adhesive for chassis construction, radically different than the MK II, the J chassis was stronger, more rigid, and lighter weight. With similar power from Ford’s 427 V8 was raced in 1966, this MK IV was the world’s most formidable endurance racing car.
The car was a continuation of Ford’s original GT40/J-Car program of 1964, which was resurrected in order to replicate the success of Ford’s grand win by a trio of MKIIs at the 24 Hours of Lemans in 1966. This MK IV uses a strengthened chassis and a NASCAR-style steel roll cage, and the body is more conventional than the first ‘bread-van’ J-Car. It also has a lower tail to improve airflow. It is fitted with the same 427 cubic-inch V8 that drove the winning trio of MK IIs in 1966.
Despite being 600 pounds heavier than its rival, the Ferrari 330 P4, this MK IV eventually crossed the line three laps ahead of it. Following the 24-Hour race, the car was shown at the Auto Expo International in September of 1967, before going to Dearborn, where it was donated to The Henry Ford museum in 1972.
