In the history of motorsports, no rivalry is more storied than the 1960s battle between Ferrari and Ford. Henry Ford II strongly desired a sports car able to win long-distance races such as Le Mans, but at the time, Ferrari dominated endurance racing, having won the famed 24-hour race every year between 1960 and 1965. In 1963, Ford thought he had found his answer when he discovered that Enzo Ferrari was interested in selling the company that bore his name. Ford spent several million dollars on actuarial and legal work to prepare the deal, only to be rebuffed by Enzo, who desired to maintain control over the racing division. In response, Ford devoted the company’s efforts to developing their own car. The first version, the GT40 Mark I, proved incapable of challenging Ferrari, forcing Ford to bring in renowned racer and designer Carroll Shelby. The Shelby-crafted GT40 Mark II achieved Ford’s goal, placing first, second, and third at Le Mans in 1966, thus ending the Ferrari dynasty. Other GT40 variants won Le Mans in 1967, 1968, and 1969.

The attention garnered by this racing success led Ford to design a road-going variant, the GT40 Mark III. The 7.0-liter engine was replaced with a detuned 4.7-liter model, albeit one that was still able to produce 306 horsepower and a top speed of 165 miles per hour. It featured round, rather than oblong, headlights, a less rigid suspension, and a more comfortable interior, and the car’s rear deck was extended to make room for luggage. However, demand was light and only seven were produced. Despite this, the GT40 had become one of the most iconic Fords ever made, and it became the inspiration for the Ford GT models released in 2003, on the 100th anniversary of the company, and in 2016, the 50th anniversary of the Le Mans sweep.