GT or GT40

[Tornado]

The Ford Motor Company didnt do that to save face they named the car after its proper name and not the iconic nickname the car was giving due to not owning the rights to the name,if you can back up with evidence saying that they did it to save face then go head,again you are making the assumtion that they did without providing facts.

Likewise, you haven't proven that Ford named the 2002 concept after teh GT40 as a "nickname."
My proof is right here.
Pretty much every time the GT40 is not mentioned in the same breath as the Ford GT 2005 car, it is called GT40. Every time the article is about the 2005 car and is mentioned at the same time as the GT40, the GT40 is called Ford GT, and the 2005 car was named after it. That's not only saving face, that's treating the public to contrasting PR releases and treating them like children.
The only times the 1965+ cars are called Ford GT is for the purposes of hyping the 2005 car. Otherwise even Ford calls it the GT40. If that wasn't the car's official name, they wouldn't call it that at all because that would cause confusion over what the 2005 car was named after. They even admitted themselves at the rechristening of the 2002 concept that GT40 was technically less appropriate than GT, but that GT would fit just as well because that was the name of the original GT40s (1964 cars).
This, when combined with period documentation that always refers to the 1965 cars as GT40, the chassis codes, the fact that Henry Ford obviously didn't care what it was called as you contend, and various circumstantial evidence, I can't understand why you are so wholeheartedly against the fact that the car was called GT40. I actually think you do think it was called GT40, because all of your "evidence" points to it being called "GT40" anyways, and only being "GT" in 1964.

what i posted in post 7 showed in that the car was refered to more being the GT and not the gt40.

What you posted in post #7 was a sales brochure titled "GT40." That makes any mention of "GT" simply shorthand. It does not make "GT" the actual name for it because it was used once (!) more than GT40 is (which is a pretty stupid argument anyways). That is just how things work. You don't title a brochure "GT40" if that is not the name of the car.

carroll might not have had any say in the name but he worked on the cars for almost 5 years so i would be pretty confident that he would know what the car was called.

He's also bankrolled by Ford for life. Not the most impartial of opinions. He says what Ford wants him to say, and since everytime it comes up it is in reference to the 2005 car, of course he says it is the GT.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

i doubt ford could make shelby say what they want him to.he may have been bankrolled but he sure says what he thinks,in fact he made fun of the '60s mustang and said it couldnt be mad fast,yet created the gt350 and gt500.

also the picture daan posted of the silver '60s gt roadcar which according to some people were called GT40 was the same silver one i posted a few pages back badged as a FORD GT,do you really think someone would do that to an orginal "GT40"?

 

[Tornado]

i doubt ford could make shelby say what they want him to.he may have been bankrolled but he sure says what he thinks

Relevance? What he thinks hardly constitutes as fact. And facts say he's wrong, bankrolled or not.

,in fact he made fun of the '60s mustang and said it couldnt be mad fast,yet created the gt350 and gt500.

Relevance?

also the picture daan posted of the silver '60s gt roadcar which according to some people were called GT40 was the same silver one i posted a few pages back badged as a FORD GT,do you really think someone would do that to an orginal "GT40"?

You mean the white car in post #35 when compared to this?
No, it's not the same car. Its the same model, but its not the same car.


I'm much done with this. If Perfect Balance was still here I might continue, but all you are doing, Holdenhsvgtsr, is repeatedly denying that the GT40 name existed despite (I'll say it again) period documentation, chassis codes (which race cars are almost always named after), current Ford documentation, various circumstantial evidence (such as how Ford did a complete 180 when they found out the 2005 car couldn't be called GT40, or how Ford allows companies that licence the car to use it as "GT40"). Against all of this insurmountable evidence, all you have done is say that we are wrong without providing any proof, yet at the same time saying that our proof is nullified because you are right.
You are wrong, Holdenhsvgtsr, plain and simple. You have done nothing to say otherwise, and all you have done is prove that me, *McLaren* and GashlyCrumb were correct the whole time. Unless you can find some period documentation that proves the car was called GT in non-retarded way, some current documentation that isn't completely nullified by far more documentation that says otherwise, or frankly, anything to help prove your opinion, I suggest you stop saying that the car was called GT if you want to be taken seriously. Because it wasn't. Period.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

no its the same car,a few replys on there is a link to the picture
http://www.channel4.com/4car/gl/gallery/gallery/652/9
and you will see this picture of the same car

save the picture zoom in and you will see both cars have the SAME reg plates.

no im not wrong even as perfect balance says and ill say it to.Henry Ford II,Carroll Shelby and the FORD motor company all say that it was called the FORD GT and not "GT40" noone would know this car better than these people.

can you prove carroll was saying what ford wanted him to? no
can you prove Henry Ford II didnt care what people called the car? no
can you prove ford motor company did this for hype? no

all you's are doing is guessing,all these facts point to that the car was called the ford gt and not the gt40 like pb and i say until someone comes up with proof saying that the FORD GT was called the "GT40" and NOT/ the FORD GT in those terms then sadly for you i am not wrong.

 

[Tornado]

no its the same car,a few replys on there is a link to the picture
http://www.channel4.com/4car/gl/gallery/gallery/652/9
and you will see this picture of the same car

Oh. So an owner changed to car to his/her tastes. Totally blankets the entire range.

no im not wrong even as perfect balance says and ill say it to.Henry Ford II,Carroll Shelby and the FORD motor company all say that it was called the FORD GT and not "GT40" noone would know this car better than these people.

No one would know the car better than those people. But you have NOT provided a good basis for an argument that states that anyone but Shelby (who had nothing to do with naming the car) explicitly said the car was named GT instead of GT40. You have said Ford II wanted it on the steering wheel. Which is hardly a statement from him saying "this car is the Ford GT." And Ford the company contradicts themselves on this issue even in the articles you say support you.

can you prove carroll was saying what ford wanted him to? no

Does it matter? Even you established that he had little to no influence on the car's name.

can you prove Henry Ford II didnt care what people called the car? no

Yes, I can. The Ford family has always had incredible power over the company. If he wanted it called GT, the sales brochure that you quoted WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TITLED "GT40." Likewise, the cars would not have had different chassis codes than the pre-production cars.

can you prove ford motor company did this for hype? no

No, I can't. But you cannot prove that Ford refers to the car exclusively as Ford GT. Because THEY DON'T. Which means all 3 parts of you major crutch for calling it GT are blown to oblivion.

all you's are doing is guessing,all these facts point to that the car was called the ford gt and not the gt40 like pb and i say

Do I have to implant it in your head with satellites? NONE OF THE PERIOD DOCUMENTATION AGREES WITH YOU. Not the sales brochure. Not the 1964 press release. Not the chassis codes NONE.
The car chassis codes flat out say you are WRONG, in fact. Explain that.

until someone comes up with proof saying that the FORD GT was called the "GT40" and NOT/ the FORD GT

There. I win. You see, IT DOES NOT have to explicitly say "the car was called the GT40. Not the GT." Because Ford doesn't even say that the car was Ford GT and not GT40. You have nothing to stand on by using PB's argument, because it is disproven either by the ret-con idea or by the fact that Ford continues to call the car GT40. And especially by both combined.

in those terms then sadly for you i am not wrong.

In real life, sadly for you you cannot grip how wrong you are.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Do I have to implant it in your head with satellites? NONE OF THE PERIOD DOCUMENTATION AGREES WITH YOU. Not the sales brochure. Not the 1964 press release. Not the chassis codes NONE.
The car chassis codes flat out say you are WRONG, in fact. Explain that.


There. I win. You see, IT DOES NOT have to explicitly say "the car was called the GT40. Not the GT." Because Ford doesn't even say that the car was Ford GT and not GT40. You have nothing to stand on by using PB's argument, because it is disproven either by the ret-con idea or by the fact that Ford continues to call the car GT40. And especially by both combined.

i have posted a press release which refers to the car as the GT the brochure also meations the car being called the gt,chassis codes mean nothing,you dont see companys advertising there cars as s15's or ek9's or e92's etc

In that press release it states that cars that won lemans in '66 were MKII GT's

On Sunday, June 19, 1966, a trio of sleek Ford GT Mark II endurance racers crossed a rain-soaked finish line at the famous La Sarthe circuit in Le Mans , convincingly achieving Ford's goal of beating Ferrari to the crown jewel of international racing success.

so if your arguement that any gt after the MK I was the GT40's is blown away from FORD themselfs.

 

[McLaren]

i have posted a press release which refers to the car as the GT the brochure also meations the car being called the gt

And yet the title of the brochure is Ford GT40.

,chassis codes mean nothing,you dont see companys advertising there cars as s15's or ek9's or e92's etc

Those are not race cars. Chassis codes on race cars issued due to name. If by your arguement that chassis codes mean nothing, then why are these codes similar to name?
Porsche 911 GT1 - GT1-XXX
Porsche 911 GT1 1998 - GT1/98-xxx

Wait, never mind. I've asked you this question 4-5 times now. And every time I do, you choose to ignore it.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Those are not race cars. Chassis codes on race cars issued due to name. If by your arguement that chassis codes mean nothing, then why are these codes similar to name?
Porsche 911 GT1 - GT1-XXX
Porsche 911 GT1 1998 - GT1/98-xxx

Wait, never mind. I've asked you this question 4-5 times now. And every time I do, you choose to ignore it.

because by your arguement we are talking about road cars not race cars.

 

[CDailey]

Lol, don't you just want to smack someone in the face with a 2x4 sometimes?

 

[McLaren]

because by your arguement we are talking about road cars not race cars.

You do realize the road cars were built on the same assembly lines as the race car which is why they were branded the same chassis codes.

And thank you for jumping over my question again.

 

[YSSMAN]

Can I ask why we're still arguing over this? The entire thing is reminding me of the good ol' days with Poverty again...

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Can I ask why we're still arguing over this? The entire thing is reminding me of the good ol' days with Poverty again...

Time for

 

[Perfect Balance]

There. I win. You see, IT DOES NOT have to explicitly say "the car was called the GT40. Not the GT." Because Ford doesn't even say that the car was Ford GT and not GT40. You have nothing to stand on by using PB's argument, because it is disproven either by the ret-con idea or by the fact that Ford continues to call the car GT40. And especially by both combined.


In real life, sadly for you you cannot grip how wrong you are.

They actually did, I posted it multiple times in this thread.

The original cars were called the Ford GT, that is a fact to which McLaren and Gashlycrumb also agreed. As for the future race cars, I'd rather not get back into the argument, I had enough of it yesterday.

 

[Tornado]

i have posted a press release which refers to the car as the GT

No duh. It was a 1964 press release.

the brochure also meations the car being called the gt

Since multiple people saying multiple, multiple times doesn't seem to get through to you, maybe a question will: What was the title of the sales brochure? And I see you are still using the retarded means of determining what the brochure was referring to as the car's name.

chassis codes mean nothing,you dont see companys advertising there cars as s15's or ek9's or e92's etc

But you do see companies (most, if not all), advertising race cars by chassis codes. And the GT40 Mark III was built alongside the GT40 race cars. At the same time, on the same chassis, on the same line. And road versions of race cars are always named after the race counterpart.

In that press release it states that cars that won lemans in '66 were MKII GT's

It also says merely a paragraph futher:

The 1966-71 grid, sponsored by Ford, appropriately embraces the GT40 – winner of the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969 – and its contemporary competitors.

Which calls the winners of all 4 years, including 1966, GT40s.

so if your arguement that any gt after the MK I was the GT40's is blown away from FORD themselfs.

Except it wasn't, as you obviously only read articles up to when they support your viewpoint.

They actually did, I posted it multiple times in this thread.

Yes, they do. They also continue to refer to the cars as GT40 multiple times since that release in all sorts of press releases, so any time Ford explicitly said that that was the case is probably nullified mpw by the fact that they themselves don't seem to support it. Even if you don't believe the ret-con angle it's still obvious that the press release has been made out-of-date.

 

[TheCracker]

Looking at scans of original, period race programmes and also period photos of the time - two things are made obvious. Firstly, The Ford GT/GT-40 was named officially both ways. They seemed to use 'Ford GT' or 'Ford MkII' early on when the car wasn't generally so successful. By the time J. W. Automotive Engineering took over the running of the project, the cars were entered as 'Ford GT 40' or 'Ford GT-40'. Secondly, i've not seen one period photo of any of the cars running a side stripe that said anything other than 'FORD' - some used the blue oval logo, but most just had FORD in caps, in a plain sans-serif font.

 

[Scaff]

Who wanted a piece with Ford calling the '60s car a GT40 with little or no reference to the Ford GT, here you go....

http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=11992

FORD MOTOR COMPANY 'CRUISES' WITH LEGENDARY GT40

Featured Stories
Press Releases


The legendary GT40 .
CONCEPT CAR ON DISPLAY AT 'REVVIN’ WITH FORD'

Revvin' with Ford

BIRMINGHAM, MI, JUNE 3, 2002 - The legendary GT40 races back into the lives of car enthusiasts this year at Ford Motor Company’s “Revvin’ With Ford” event, Saturday, August 17 in downtown Birmingham. More than 35 years after its introduction, the GT40 will be reintroduced in 2003 to commemorate Ford’s 100th anniversary. A special concept GT40 will be a highlight of Revvin’ 2002, along with a vintage GT40 and a new display featuring a preview of lifestyle accessories related to the GT40.

The GT40, a ‘60’s racing icon, was put into production in 1965, becoming one of the most expensive vehicles of its time. Introduced and engineered to compete with the world’s best race cars, it won the LeMans 24 Hour race four consecutive times. The GT40 racing model was made available until the end of the 1969 season. Still actively campaigned in Historic Racing, the GT40 has become an American classic.

“Revvin’ With Ford,” a centerpiece of the Woodward Dream Cruise, is a culmination of events expected to draw more than 1.5 million people. A charity preview, benefiting the Children’s Charities Coalition kicks-off the event Friday night. In addition to food, nostalgia and kid-friendly activities, Chubby Checker, the “King of the Twist,” will make appearances throughout the weekend as Revvin’s premier attraction.

For more information on Revvin’ with Ford 2002, please visit www.revvinwithford.com or call the Revvin’ with Ford Hotline at 800-4-REVVIN.

FORD WILL BUILD THE GT40
Ford Motor Company Chairman and CEO Bill Ford delivered the news that car enthusiasts around the world have been waiting for: Ford will build the GT40 to help celebrate the automaker's 100th anniversary in 2003. Ford made the announcement to employees at the company's world headquarters.

GT40, the modern version of the historic, two-seat supercar, will help breathe new excitement into the Ford brand and support Ford Motor Company's promise of 20 new or freshened products each year.

"Our revitalization plan is centered on products," said Ford. "The company that builds and delivers the best cars and trucks wins, and we're going to win. I can't think of a better symbol of that winning attitude than GT40."

The production announcement comes on the heels of the 2002 North American International Auto Show debut of the GT40 concept car less than 45 days ago. The award-winning concept was inspired by arguably one of the most recognized and loved cars in automotive history.

In the mid-1960s, the low-slung, mid-engine GT40 was introduced to battle the world's best in endurance racing. Just over 100 of these historic cars were built, placing Ford in prestigious winner's circles worldwide, most notably, winning the Le Mans (France) 24-hour race in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969. The new GT40, created by Ford's "Living Legends" studio, is more than 18 inches longer and stands nearly four inches taller than the original. Yet, despite being physically larger, it is unmistakably a GT40, an automotive statement of passion, speed and performance.

GT40 joins Thunderbird, Mustang and the Forty-Nine concept as part of Ford's "Living Legends" lineup. Production capacity, vehicle specifications, performance numbers, pricing and the final name of the production vehicle will be revealed at a later date.

Now I don't see a single reference to the 60's car (road or race) as just the GT at all.

The reason? Marketing, they wanted to call the modern car a GT40 as soon as they discovered the price wanted to recover the original name rights.

Did I say recover? I did indeed, you see despite what has been said by a number of people here Ford did not 'forget' or 'fail' to register the GT-40 name, they sold it.

In case you were wondering why its a Ford GT and not a GT40, the answer is simple. Rather like the Queen selling off the Crown Jewels because she wasnt wearing them anymore, Ford sold the rights to the GT40 name to Safir Engineering, a British company that produced beautifully finished mega-money replicas of the GT40. When Safir ran into financial problems in 1999, the name was transferred to their US-based parts operation and Ford managed to negotiate a one-off deal to use the name on their 2002 Detroit Show car.

Source - http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/ford-gt-1004121.html

and

One of the best such companies was Safir Engineering, which bought the rights to the name "GT40" in 1985, and built cars until 1999 with chassis numbers continuing the sequence where the original Ford cars stopped.

Source - http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/1508332899/


In much the same way that Lotus sold the IP and name of the Seven to Caterham, Ford sold the name GT-40 to Safir who were at the time producing GT40 replicas and Ford had no use or plans for the name at that time. Come 2002/2003 it was a very different story.


Personally I'm with the Cracker here, having seen a wide range of historical documents, etc regarding this car I have seen it referred to in both official and non-official sources as both the GT and GT40. Put bluntly if Ford had not wanted the car to be called the GT40 (nickname or not as its origin) they would not have allowed it to be used publicly, let alone on the cover of the sales brochure.

If you want one to really do your head in, then this has to be it..

More news from the New York International Auto Show:
Go-Fast Mustang Fans Get Their Fix , Ford Gives the High-Performance World a Shot of Adrenalin, The High Performance Mantra at Ford: More SVT Products, Faster, Jaguar Super V8 Portfolio is the New Height of Sophistication, Tungsten Silver GT Helps Celebrate Historic Wins at Le Mans, Escape Hybrid Takes on Manhattan Rush Hour

To commemorate the anniversary of the 1966 win, Ford will introduce a Tungsten Silver paint option for the 2006 Ford GT. For more information on the Ford GT, visit fordvehicles.com.
NEW YORK, March 22, 2005 -- Ford beat -- no, trounced -- world heavyweights Ferrari and Porsche at the 1966 24 hour race at Le Mans when three Ford GT40 Mk II race cars made history while finishing first, second and third.

After that convincing win, the Ford GT would go on to win Le Mans for the next three years in a row.

To commemorate the anniversary of the 1966 win, Ford will introduce a Tungsten Silver paint option for the 2006 Ford GT. (Tungsten Silver replaces Quick Silver on the Ford GT's color palette. A Quick Silver racing stripe can be added to the Tungsten Silver package.)

Tungsten Silver was developed for the 2004 North American International Auto Show Ford "trilogy" of show cars: the Ford GT, the Shelby Cobra roadster concept and the Mustang GT. Customer demand was so overwhelming that the color was added to the production palette.

"We've had two GTs come through our showroom. They're amazing," said Grant Guzowski, sales representative at Capistrano Ford in San Diego. "You can't say enough about the GT. To have a car that competes with Porsche and Ferrari at a fraction of the price is amazing. The new color almost looks like chrome. Anyone who buys a GT buys a piece of history. I think this vehicle will be a nice collector item."

Phil Martens, group vice president, Product Creation, North America, said that June 19, 1966 was probably the second most important day in Ford Motor Company history. The first, according to Martens, was October 10, 1901 when Henry Ford won his first and only automobile race helping launch Ford Motor Company.

"Six decades later sweeping Le Mans proved to the world that Ford Motor Company could beat the most prestigious manufacturers in the world," said Martens. "Those two events helped establish a culture of performance at Ford Motor Company that to this day benefits our products, engineering expertise, and brand loyalty. Today, that culture is embodied in the Ford GT, aptly titled the pace car for the entire company."

Camilo Pardo, chief designer of the Ford GT, called the GT's new color "mature."

"In Tungsten Silver, the Ford GT is really dressy, like a fine suit," said Pardo. "This dark silver color also brings out all the design features and the subtleties of the car. In fact, people who've seen it thought we'd added a feature line around the side of the car. It's always been there, but you may not notice it in the car's other colors. Tungsten Silver really brings it out."

Pardo notes that in the design studio, clay models are covered with "Dynoc" material that is a similar hue to Tungsten silver. The color is specifically designed to enhance the vehicle design details for evaluation.

"We use silver to evaluate our designs throughout the whole process," Pardo said. "It brings out the subtleties, the returns and the negatives, the differences between horizontal and vertical surfaces."

Inspiring the 2006 Tungsten Silver GT, Ford's complete list of victories at Le Mans are:

1966
First Place: Ford Mk II driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon
Second Place: Ford Mk II driven by Ken Miles and Denis Hulme
Third Place: Ford Mk II driven by Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson

1967
First Place: Ford Mk IV driven by Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt Jr.
Fourth Place: Ford Mk IV driven by Bruce McLaren and Mark Donohue

1968
First Place: Ford GT40 driven by Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi

1969
First Place: Ford GT40 driven by Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver
Third Place: Ford GT40 driven by David Hobbs and Mike Hailwood

Source - http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=20267


In the text reference is made to the Ford GT and Ford GT40 (regarding the '60s cars), yet in the historical results at the bottom no mention is made of the Ford GT, rather the Ford Mk II, Ford Mk IV and Ford GT40.



Regards

Scaff


Edited to add - right now lets start with the Dino

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Secondly, i've not seen one period photo of any of the cars running a side stripe that said anything other than 'FORD' - some used the blue oval logo, but most just had FORD in caps, in a plain sans-serif font.

 

[Tornado]

That is not a GT40. That is chassis GT104. The Bondurant/Ginther car that placed 3rd in Daytona in 1965. Which was a Ford GT. And it's pretty obvious that it is a GT due to the front splitter and nose shape. Try again.

 

[Perfect Balance]

No older Fords said GT40 on the side. They all said either Ford, Ford GT, or nothing at all.

Throughout the years and despite the GT40 nickname and various versions including Mark II, III, IV and the less known and aesthetically best-forgotten “Mirage” models, at the insistence of Henry Ford II, the cars continued to the nomenclature “Ford GT” or just “Ford” on their body-sides and steering wheel hub.

The legendary Ford GT racing program culminated in June of 1969 with its last victory at Le Mans. Some cars continued to compete after 1969, but the Ford factory program came to a close. Various attempts to keep the flame burning in the form of newly available cars built from spare parts and replica parts continued through the 1970s to present, including a line of cars known as GT40 Mark Vs built by an aftermarket company, which even picked up on the chassis numbering sequence. No Ford badging appeared on these cars. The side stripes carried the name “GT40” or a “GT40 MkV” badge on the wheels.

The ones with GT40 on the side were not built by Ford themselves.

 

[Tornado]

And that is supposed to change the fact that the car posted was an actual Ford GT?

 

[Perfect Balance]

And that is supposed to change the fact that the car posted was an actual Ford GT?

No I'm just pointing out that it still would have said Ford or Ford GT even if it was a "GT40"

 

[McLaren]

No older Fords said GT40 on the side. They all said either Ford, Ford GT, or nothing at all.

Yes, which were on the cars built pre-1965.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Yes, which were on the cars built pre-1965.

I never saw anything that specified that. I'm sure it was just one of the paint schemes.

 

[Scaff]

Couple of bits on here, first....

Throughout the years and despite the GT40 nickname and various versions including Mark II, III, IV and the less known and aesthetically best-forgotten “Mirage” models,at the insistence of Henry Ford II, the cars continued to the nomenclature “Ford GT” or just “Ford” on their body-sides and steering wheel hub.

....

because the F3L (Ford's GT40 'sister' car in Sports Car racing) was so much better looking and successful.

The legendary Ford GT racing program culminated in June of 1969 with its last victory at Le Mans. Some cars continued to compete after 1969, but the Ford factory program came to a close. Various attempts to keep the flame burning in the form of newly available cars built from spare parts and replica parts continued through the 1970s to present, including a line of cars known as GT40 Mark Vs built by an aftermarket company, which even picked up on the chassis numbering sequence. No Ford badging appeared on these cars. The side stripes carried the name “GT40” or a “GT40 MkV” badge on the wheels.

Ford should know that bit quite well, after all they are the ones that gave Sadir Engineering the rights to built exact replicas, use a continuation of the chassis number range and use the GT40 name (all of which would have required Ford's explicit permission).

Regards

Scaff

 

[Metar]

That thing looks incredibly like a first-generation Elise front.

 

[Muzaffar]

Holy mother of..... this has got to be one of the Biggest Debate I've Ever Seen!!!! I mean, just over the name Ford GT or Ford GT40. After reading this for a good hour or so (yes,it was THAT LONG!!!) i found out a whole lot about the car. From its creation to the racing history at Le Mans to the demise of the car. But there is still one question hanging in the air,is it a Ford GT or a Ford GT40?

I have an answer,but everyone here may/may not agree with what i'm going to say. To tell you its both! You know,they did not know whether its a GT or a GT40. But to all the people here,its a Ford GT. Even during and after the prototypes. A Ford GT40 is still considered a Ford GT cause it has a Ford GT in its name right? (Ford GT40) see what i mean? But another thing is that nobody have the same opinion. Some of you called it a GT40 while others called it a GT. It doesn't matter really to me. If its a car that you can tell its good enough.

But another thing about the name Ford GT40,its not considered legit for a car name as it doesn't represent anything. What does a car height has to do with anything with the name? I mean,sure it distinguish itself with other cars but why not relate the name with other things? Like can't they put the name Ford GT 427 (named after the engine size) or put the name Ford GT MkII and so on (after the car model) or even go unique by calling it the Ford GT "Toad" (named it after the look of the car )
All of these are just my honest opinion about the car. If anyone started an argument with me, i'm sure to be flamed until i've turned into ashes and been burned some more

 

[McLaren]

The Ford GT part in "Ford GT40" is the main connection between the prototypes and the production car. 40, though, was easier to add than completely renaming it. But if you check the history of many cars, you'll see how they got their names from the car itself. The Countach, for example, was named such after a factory worked exclaimed, "Countach!" when he saw it for the first time, and as I understand it, Countach is Italian for 'Oh wow!'

Yes, even I said it's acceptable to call them either names, but the production models will remain known as GT40s. The Chassis Code remains the biggest piece of evidence Ford did recognize the car as a GT40.

What Ford says now these days, is different from what Ford marketed 40 years ago.