“Ford GT” captures the story of the famed endurance racer, offering the kind of deep dive that isn’t possible via other forms of media–like a Hollywood blockbuster, for example. Preston Lerner’s tome tells the entire story, from Enzo Ferrari’s refusal to sell to Ford all the way to the model’s retirement following its dominance at Le Mans.
In between, the book discusses the choosing of Lola as a contractor, the never-realized street car project, and the development–so much development. Dave Friendman’s timeless photos tie everything together.
Parts of the story come from the people who were actually there–like Don Frey, at the time Ford’s assistant general manager. “Ferrari stated that he wanted to race at Indianapolis, and he knew that Ford wanted to race at Indianapolis,” Frey explains in the book. “Ferrari wanted to know who would be in charge of that racing program. When I told him that we would be in charge of the entire racing program, the negotiations came to an abrupt end.”
Frey then recounts Henry Ford’s response to that news: “Ford, who’d become very interested in what was going on, got quite angry and said, ‘All right, if that’s the way he wants it, we’ll go out and whip his ass.’”
“Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans”
Motorbooks, an imprint of The Quattro Group
232 pages
$60
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By Tim Suddard
