The GT40 was developed by Ford with one objective - to beat Ferrari and win Le Mans. In 1966, after great financial outlay and at the second attempt, the GT40 did just that. Alan Mann Racing was involved with two versions, the small block MKI, and the big block MKII, which won Le Mans in ’66.
After extensive development testing in 1965, Alan Mann was personally convinced that the lighter 4.7-litre MKI was the better car, and built two aluminium-bodied lightweights to further reduce weight. However, the reliability and brute strength of the 7-litre won the favour of the Ford elite, and the MKII programme was the focus of 1966. Despite significant teething troubles, the cars finished 1-2-3 at Le Mans and secured Ford an historic victory.