NURBURGRING and LE MANS
A week after the presentation of GT 101, the car was sent to the MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) for a few days of testing. Then in April it was sent along with GT102 - freshly completed - to the Le Mans trials. Some aerodynamic problems quickly showed up. With Frenchman Joe Schlesser at the wheel GT101 took off in the Hunaudières ( In English : the Mulsanne straight) and crashed very close to the trees. Joe Schlesser was only shaken but the car was a wreck. After more testing at the MIRA the surviving car ( GT102) was sent to the Nurburgring for the 1st race of the season. The main modifications were a new nose and a spoiler at the tail which took care of the instability at high speed. At the Nurburgring more problems became apparent and the car didn't finish due to broken suspensions.
Two more cars were completed (GT103 and 104). They were sent with GT102 to Le Mans for the 24 hours race in June:
No 12 - GT104 caught fire after 4 hours
No 11 - GT103 transmission failure after 5 hours
No 10 - GT102 transmission failure after 13 hours
With no major changes GT102 and 103 went to Reims for the 12 hours along with a new car (GT105),
none finished.
After this disastrous season they needed to find a new approach.
The models:
 |
| Ford GT - Chassis # GT101 - Le Mans trials April 1964 (BIZARRE) |
 |
| The same |
 |
| Ford GT - Chassis # GT102 - Le Mans trials April 1964 (BIZARRE) |
 |
| The same |
 |
| Ford GT - Chassis # GT104 - DNF Le Mans 1964 - (BIZARRE) |
 |
| The same |
 |
| Ford GT - Chassis GT 102 - DNF Nurburgring 1964 (BIZARRE) |
 |
| The same |
No comments:
Post a Comment