Beschreibung
LOT 272
2023 Ford GT Holman Moody Heritage Edition Coupé
GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
14 July 2023, 14:00 BST
Chichester, Goodwood
£900, 000 - £1, 100, 000
Registration no. Y500 EJR
Chassis no. 1FAGP9EW6NH200214
• Modern reworking of an iconic racing GT
• Ultra-limited-edition Heritage model
• 'Second generation' V6 turbo model
• Delivery mileage only
• Brand new condition
• Registered in the UK
At the 2022 New York Auto Show the Ford Motor Company announced an ultra-limited-edition version of its GT40 supercar: the Holman Moody Special Edition, which takes its name from the legendary American race preparation and tuning firm that was heavily involved in the firm's successful Le Mans campaigns of the 1960s. It is the ninth Heritage Edition of the Ford GT built since 2006 and is available only to a select band of approved GT customers.
Based on Eric Broadley's Lola GT, the original Ford GT40 was spawned by the Dearborn giant's ambition to beat Ferrari at Le Mans, a feat it duly achieved for the first time in 1966. The GT40 project had commenced three years previously, following Ford's failed attempt to buy into Ferrari, and was based at the Ford Advanced Vehicles plant at Slough, England. The GT40 first ran competitively in 1964 but failed at Le Mans that year and again in 1965. That first sweet Le Mans victory would fall to the 7. 0-litre Mark II, with victory the following year going to a US-built Mark IV 'J' car. (The GT40 Mark III was the British-built road-going version). Of the three GT40s that lined up together for that famous 1-2-3 clean-sweep finish at Le Mans in 1966, the first two were entered by Shelby American while the third, driven by Ronnie Bucknam and Dick Hutcherson, was entered by Holman & Moody.
A decade later and the GT40's status as an all-time great classic sports car had been firmly established, leading to an increased demand for unmolested originals and the start of a replica-building industry. Perhaps the only surprise concerning the emergence of a reconstituted 'official' version is that it took Ford the best part of 40 years to get around to it.
The 'new generation' GT was developed by Ford's Special Vehicle Team Engineering department under the direction of John Coletti and Fred Goodnow. The composite body panels were unstressed, as on the original, but instead of the monocoque chassis construction used in the 1960s, SVT Engineering developed an all-new aluminium spaceframe combining extruded sections and panels. Doubling as fuel reservoirs, a pair of massive sills contributed much to the original's chassis stiffness, whereas the new GT relied on a centre-tunnel 'backbone' that greatly improved ease of entry and exit. The suspension design was an advance on the original's, consisting of unequal-length control arms and a pushrod/ bell-crank system acting on horizontally mounted coil spring/ damper units. Braking was handled by six-piston, Alcon callipers with cross-drilled and ventilated discs all round.
In defeating Ferrari's more highly stressed V12s, Ford proved that the traditional American V8 possessed all that was necessary to compete at the cutting edge of international endurance racing. A far cry from the simple pushrod units of the 1960s, the supercharged MOD 5. 4-litre V8 produced 550bhp at 5, 250rpm and 500lb/ ft of torque at 3, 250 revs; figures on a par with those of the 7. 0-litre engine that won at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967. The all-synchromesh six-speed transaxle used ZF internals and was sourced from RBT Transmissions, whose founder Roy Butfoy had been a member of Ford's racing team at Le Mans. The interior featured leather-upholstered, Recaro bucket seats with aluminium ventilation grommets embedded into the panels. The instrument layout followed the original's, comprising analogue gauges and a large tachometer complemented by modern versions of the traditional toggle switches.
Back in 1966, the Ford GT40 endurance racer became the first car to exceed 200mph along the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans. Matching that would be some achievement for the production road car, even allowing for nearly 40 years of technological progress. Tested for Motor Trend magazine by Indycar racing legend Bryan Herta, the new Ford GT duly topped 200mph at Ford's Kingman test facility in Arizona, emphatically demonstrating that it was indeed worthy of that famous name. A total of 4, 038 cars had been completed when production ceased at the end of 2006, over three quarters of which were delivered in the USA.
In 2015 a second-generation Ford GT was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show. Technologically a far cry from its predecessors, the new Ford GT features a 3. 5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine; a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis; carbon-fibre body panels; pushrod suspension; and active aerodynamics. Producing 647bhp, the turbo V6 drives the rear wheels via a Getrag seven-speed DCT gearbox. The factory claims a sub-3. 0 second 0-60mph time and a top speed of 216mph (347km/ h), which makes the Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes a necessity rather than a luxury.
In fact, Ford's new supercar had been created with GT racing in mind, hence the presence of an integral roll cage and a host of other competition-car technologies. Yet despite its state-of-the-art track-focused suspension, the GT has a ride quality rivalling that of a luxury saloon. Autocar's Matt Prior was obviously impressed: "the GT... has a level of composure - that balance between ride and handling – that I'm not sure I've better experienced in 20 years of road testing. It's so compliant, yet there's so little roll, and body movements are so well controlled, that is genuinely astonishing". All of the planned 1, 000 road models had been sold before deliveries commenced in 2017, and these exclusive supercars remain highly sought after today.
And as for its maker's racing aspirations, the new GT did not disappoint. At Le Mans on 19th June 2016, the number '68' Ford GT of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing driven by Hand/ Müller/ Bourdais finished 1st in the LM GTE-Pro class, their victory marking 50 years after Ford's first Le Mans win in 1966 with the original GT40.
"Of all the Ford GT Heritage Edition liveries we've done, the Holman Moody Heritage Edition's can't-miss signature gold and red theme is an epic tribute to our 1966 Le Mans finish," said Mike Severson, Ford GT programme manager. "Inspired by one of the most well-known Ford GT40 race cars, this latest Ford GT honours the Holman Moody race team's know-how and ability to out-innovate global competitors."
The Holman Moody's unique includes signature Oxford White roundels with 'No. 5' on the doors, hood and rear wing, all matching the appearance of that famous 1966 Ford GT40. Exposed gloss carbon-fibre components are prominent, including the 20" wheels, front splitter, side sills, mirrors, engine louvres and rear diffuser. Brembo brake calipers lacquered in black with silver graphics, plus black lug nuts, further enhance the modern aesthetic.
Carbon fibre also features in the cabin, appearing on door sills, console and registers, and even features a matte 'No. 5' roundel on the door panels. Ebony Alcantara-wrapped carbon-fibre seats feature gold accent stitching, while embossed seating surfaces and head restraints carry a de-bossed GT logo. The instrument panel is wrapped in Ebony leather and Ebony Alcantara, the latter also featuring on the pillars and headlining. Gold appliqués on the instrument panel, door register bezels and seat X-brace are paired with the matte carbon fibre on the registers, door sills, lower A-pillars and console. The steering wheel is finished in Ebony Alcantara with black stitching, while the paddle shifters are finished in exterior-matching Holman Moody Gold.
First registered in the UK on 3rd May 2023, this Ford GT Holman Moody has covered 'delivery mileage' of only some 20 miles. Presented in stunning, brand new condition, this pristine example represents a not-to-be-missed opportunity to join the select band of Ford GT owners.
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