GT40 Mirage : 1031/1047

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

GT40 P1031 / P1031-1047

FORD GT40 Mk2 Chassis P 1031 (and 1031/1047)

1031 was sent to SAI to replace GT 106 in the Mk2 program. Its first race was the 24 hours of Daytona in February 1966 in a white livery with a black hood. Entered by Holmann & Moody it finished 3rd. Next was the 12 hours in Sebring in March, this time entered by Shelby (SAI) resprayed dark metallic blue. 1031 was leading the race in the last lap when the car broke down in view of the finish line. It would have been credited with a 2nd place if Dan Gurney, its driver, had not pushed the car which lead to a disqualification. Back in the hands of H&M the car was prepared for the 24 hours of Le Mans the following June. Repainted dark blue with white stripes (and a yellow "moustache") it retired after 7 hours. After spending a few months as a show car it was sent to the 1967 Daytona 24 hours race where it retired wearing a bronze livery.
Prepared for the 1967 Le Mans 24 hours in full Mk2B specifications with a gold and white stripes livery it was wrecked during the race along with the Mk2B 1016 and the Mk4 J7.
This is at least the official version. It has been established decades later during restorations of 1031 and 1047 that the chassis number had been interchanged before the Le Mans race for a still unexplained reason. The gold car (#5) was in fact 1047 and the blue car (#57) was 1031. The real 1031 (#57) retired on engine failure at the 18th hour.
After Le Mans all Mk2 and Mk4 were retired from competition except for 1031 ( now called semi officially 1031/1047) which raced till the end of the season with some success: a win at the 12 hours of Reims, a 4th place at Mugello, a DNF at Monthlery and another 4th place at the 1000 km of Paris.
Although entered by Ford France it retained its Le Mans blue livery.

The Models:

Ford GT40 Mk2 (H & M) - Chassis # 1031 - DNF Daytona 1967 -
(BANG Models modified)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk 2B - Chassis # 1047 - Ret. Le Mans 1967 (UNIVERSAL HOBBY)
Officially 1047 in fact 1031

The same

Ford GT40 Mk 2B - Chassis # 1031/1047 - 4th Mugello 1967 (BANG Models)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk 2 - Chassis # 1031 - 3rd Daytona 1966 (UNIVERSAL HOBBY))

The same

Ford GT40 Mk 2 - Chassis # 1031 - DSQ Sebring 1966 (BANG Models)

Ford GT40 Mk 2 - Chassis # 1031 - Ret. 7th H. Le Mans 1966 (BANG Models)

Ford GT40 Mk 2B -Chassis # 1031 - Ret. Le Mans 1967 (Kit MARSH MODELS)
Officially 1031 in fact 1047

The same

Ford GT40 Mk 2B - Chassis # 1047 - Ret. Le Mans 1967 (BANG Models)
Officially 1047 in fact 1031

1031 at Daytona in 1966

Pit stop for1031 at Daytona in 1966

1031 at the start at Sebring in 1966

1031 racing at Sebring in 1966

1031 at Le Mans in 1966

1031 at Le Mans in 1966 during practice

1031 at Le Mans in 1966

1031 at Le Mans in 1966 during practice (Without its "moustache")

1031 at Daytona in 1967

1031 racing at Sebring in 1967

The official 1031 (in fact 1047) at Le Mans in 1967

The official 1047 (in fact 1031) at Le Mans in 1967

1031/1047 at the 12 hours of Reims in 1967

The victory for 1031/1047 at the 12 hours of Reims in 1967

1031/1047 at Monthlery in 1967

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The 1967 season Part 4

The 24 Hours Of LE MANS

Ford came to Le Mans with 12 cars : 4 Mk4, 3 Mk2B and 2 Mirages in the Prototype category (groupe 5) with 3 GT40 Mk1 in the Sport Prototype one (groupe 4). Against them Ferrari had 8 Prototypes : 4 new P4s, 3 P3/P4 also known as 412P and 1 P2. Plus two in GT class. Chaparral had two 2Fs, Lola Aston Martin had the one seen at the trials plus a new one with a long tail. In the 2 liter class Porsche had 6 and Matra 2.
Only 2 Ford finished the race but at the 1st and 4th place, Both 7 liter Mk4. Ferrari with only a 4 liter engine took 2nd and 3rd.
Ford got the win, the pole position, the best lap and a new record 5232.9 Km in 24 hours. The second placed Ferrari with 5180 Km had nothing to be ashamed of. It beat the 1966 Mk2 winner by 337 Km

The Le Mans line up:

#1 - Mk4 - Chassis # J5 - Winner - Entered by SAI
   #2 - Mk4 - Chassis # J6 - 4th - Entered by SAI
    #57 - Mk2B - Chassis # 1047 (1031?) - DNF - Entered by SAI
  #16 - Mk1 - Chassis # 1020 - DNF - Entered by Ford France
  #3 - Mk4 - Chassis # J7 - DNF Cr - Entered by H&M
  #5 - Mk2B - Chassis # 1031 (1047?) - DNF Cr - Entered by H&M
  #6 - Mk2B - Chassis # 1015 - DNF Cr - Entered by Ford France / H&M
    #18 - Mk1 - Chassis # 1042 - DNF - Entered by Brescia Corse / Filipinetti
  #4 - Mk4 - Chassis # J8 - DNF - Entered by H&M
  #14 - M1 - Chassis # M1 0001 - DNF - Entered by JWA
  #15 - M1 - Chassis # M1 0003 - DNF - Entered by JWA
  #62 - Mk1 - Chassis # 1026 - DNF - Entered by Dawnay Racing / JWA

The 1031 / 1047 mysteries:

Le Mans was the last race for the 7 liter engine cars except for one Mk2B entered the rest of the season by Ford France. That car, 2 weeks later won the 12 hours of Reims. It's chassis # was officially 1047 (The blue car #57 at Le Mans) All Mk4 and Mk2B (except that one) were sent back to the United States for repair or rebuilding to be used as show cars or sold to private collectors and there whereabouts are more or less known. 1031 ( the gold car # 5 at Le Mans) was thought to be in Japan a little while later. As for 1047 after 45 years it was sent in England for a full restoration. There were already some rumors about its origin. After dismantling all its components the proof that 1047 was in fact 1031 appeared clearly without any doubts: #1031 stamped on a lot of parts and above all the coats of paint revealed the history of the car as 1031 although the chassis plate number was still stamped with #1047. And to confirm the switch, not very long after that, the car thought to be 1031( the golden car #5 at Le Mans) was sent to the same English company to be restored after being forgotten in a private collection in Japan for over 45 years. It still has his # 1047 stamped on it.
There are still two mysteries unsolved : WHY and WHEN?
"Why" nobody can come with an answer, as for "when" meaning: before or after the start of the 24 hours of Le Mans : noboby knows for sure. My guess is that it was before the race. 1031/1047 as it is now referred (the blue car) stayed in France after the race. So there was no reason to repaint it in blue if the change had been made before because it was already in blue ( 1047 was gold) If the car had to be repainted it would have been in white, the color of all the Ford France entered cars. Beside 1047 (the gold car) was crashed at Le Mans and had to be sent back to the USA for repair.
Still confused? go to:

http://www.racingicons.com/gt/1031_1047.htm

and:

http://gt40photos.co.uk/page60.html

for more informations on this subject.

The models :