Tuesday 15th December 2015

Ford GT history: review

'Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans'

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We're in a perilous time of year for motoring enthusiasts. Despite the variety of quality motoring appurtenances available in the PH shop and beyond there's a sad predictability to the motoring related tat many of us unwrap come Christmas day. They mean well. But, really, branded baseball caps and bargain bin Clarkson DVDs aren't that imaginative.

This disappointment can be avoided with a gentle nudge in the right direction. Today that direction is a book delivered to us for review and just in time to make our Christmas lists. We'll have a few more like this coming over the next few days too.

According to publisher Motorbooks, Ford GT - How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans "celebrates the 50th anniversary of Ford's iconic victory, providing the detailed back story leading to that historic win... for a complete view of this remarkable era in racing." It does this very well in fact.

Although of suitable coffee table proportions the text is not something to be merely skimmed over. The many stories behind the creation of the GT40 legend are successfully intertwined, from Ford's motivation - personal and corporate - to the contributions of the numerous notable individuals to whom the car owes its success.

And, of course, plenty of absorbing accounts of the car's development and racing history. Contentious moments are viewed through the lenses of as many different participants as possible to let you understand the context. Author Preston Lerner also does a commendable job of remaining impartial when it comes to the Anglo-American aspect of the GT40's creation. This is not a stars and stripes tribute to American ingenuity beating the Europeans at their own game, but neither is it the story of a handful of plucky Brits who deserve all of the real credit.

Supplementing the text, or rather vice versa, are hundreds of striking photographs taken by Dave Friedman, Shelby American's official photographer, who travelled with the team to races around the globe during the 1960s. These truly serve to bring the story to life.

Ford GT - How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans provides an excellent blend of narrative with deep levels of technical detail, rendering it accessible to the casual motorsport fan but still interesting enough for the true enthusiast. Coupled with the stunning photography and the high quality production, whether you're familiar with the GT40's story or approaching it for the first time, it should be high up on any PHer's holiday reading list. People still give book tokens at Christmas, right?

Ford GT - How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans by Preston Lerner
For more information click here

[Words: Dafydd Wood]
Photos: LAT

[tosh.brice]

Buy from the BookDepository.com and save - with free worldwide delivery - no I don't work for them, I am a satisfied customer living in a country where most online retailers don't deliver at all, much less for free!