GT40 Mirage : 1002

Showing posts with label 1002. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

GT40 P1002

FORD GT40 Mk1 Chassis P 1002

P1002 is the first competition GT40 sold to a private team. It was entered by Fred English in 1965 and 66 with a light blue livery. For the '66 season it received a new standard bonnet and was registered for road use with the famous "FEL IC" number plate. After changing hands a couple of times it was sold to David Prophet. Resprayed in metallic grey with a gold stripe, it was modified progressively in 1967/68 to look like Paul Hawkins AMGT2 lightweight GT40. After being in an accident it's has been restored as a standard Mk1 by its present owner.

The Models:

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1002 - Ret. Brands Hatch BOAC 500 1966

Fred English's team (Kit MARSH MODELS)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1002 - 8th Spa 1968
David Prophet's team (Kit TENARIV)

The same

P 1002 at Spa in 1968

P 1002 at the Nurburgring in 1968

P 1002 at the Nurburgring in 1966

1002 (#38) with 1005 (#39) and 1001 (#41) at Spa in 1968

Sunday, November 9, 2014

The 1968 season

The Gulf GT40

1967 saw the beginning of the Gulf / JWA partnership. Started at Daytona and Sebring with the GT40 Mk1 1049 while JWA was working on the Mirage M1 . After some success (1st at Spa , Monthlery and Kyalami) they had to abandon the project because the FIA decided to change the regulations. The prototype category was limited to 3 liter engine and the sport prototype to 5 liter with a 25 minimum chassis production. The Mirage could not benefit from the GT40 production series due to too much change in the bodywork and also the change of name.
For 1968 JWA transformed 2 of their Mirages to GT40 specifications. M10001 and M10003 were rebuilt and became 1074 and 1075. After the retirement of these 2 cars at Daytona and Sebring Gulf was wandering if they had chosen the right investment. Fortunately after a win at Brands Hatch (1075) and at Monza (1074) the spirits at Gulf and JWA improved. The Le Mans trials happened the same weekend that the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch. After the Friday practice in England they sent Jacky Hicks to Le Mans on Saturday to test 1074 and flew back to race 1075 at Brands Hatch. The Nurburgring track didn't suit the GT40 but they managed a 3rd and 6th place. By this time JWA decided to built a third car for back up. They took 1004 which was sitting in the factory unused for some time and prepared it to 1968 race specifications and it was renamed 1084. It raced at Spa (Entered as 1004 !) with 1075 while 1074 went to a full overhaul in preparation of the 24 hours of Le Mans. Spa was 1084 only race. Its 1965 origin made it too heavy compared with its 2 lightweight sister cars.
At Spa Alan Mann brought his new creation : the Ford F3L (or P68) entered as a 3 liter prototype to replace the now obsolete Mk2 he was racing in 1967.
Due to the problems in France in May 1968 the 24 hours was rescheduled in September and the next race was at Watkins Glen. Jacky Icks won again with his favorite mount 1075.
For Le Mans JWA entered 3 cars 1074, 1075 and a completely new one 1076 built to lightweight specifications. Unfortunately the star driver Jacky Icks broke its leg at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix and had to be replaced by Pedro Rodriguez and his regular co driver Brian Redman who also broke his arm at Spa was too replaced by Lucien Bianchi.
Le Mans didn't start very well. After 6 hours 1074 quit (clutch problem first then blown engine) and around midnight 1076 blew it's engine too. Fortunately 1075 ran like a clock and won the 24 hours with 5 laps to the 2nd place Porsche 907.
The Le Mans win secured the manufacturer championship (won mostly by 1075) but they sent anyway 2 cars for the Watkins Glen race for another 1-2 win.
The last remaining Mirage M1 (M1 0001) was sent the the non championship race at Kyalamy for another win with Jacky Icks. It was its last race under Gulf color.
1966 was the year for Mk2, 1067 for the Mk4 but 1968 was the one for the original GT40 : the Mk1.
Beside the Gulf cars a myriad of Mk1 were raced by privateers all year long in local, national and international races

The Le Mans line up:

#9 - Mk1 - Chassis 1075 - Winner - Entered by JWA
#10 - Mk1 - Chassis 1074 - DNF - Entered by JWA
#11 - Mk1 - Chassis 1076 - DNF - Entered by JWA
#12 - Mk1 - Chassis 1078 - DNF - Entered by Strathaven Inc
#8 - Mk1 - Chassis 1079 - DNF - Entered by C. Dubois

The Models:

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1079 - 7th Monza 1968
(BOX Models modified)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1074 - DNF Sebring 1968
(Kit MARSH MODELS)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1075 - Winner Brands Hatch 1968
(Kit RECORD modified)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1075 - Winner Le Mans 1968 (IXO)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1074 - DNF 10th Hour Le Mans 1968 (BOX Models)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1076 - DNF 5th Hour Le Mans 1968 (SPARK)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1079 - DNF 1st Hour Le Mans 1968
(Kit GRAND PRIX MODELS - Decals TENARIV)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1078 - DNF 19th Hour Le Mans 1968 (IXO)

The same

Ford F3L / P68 Alan Mann - DNF Nurburgring 1968 (MINICHAMPS)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1074 -April trials Le Mans 1968
(Kit RECORD modified)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1075 - Winner Watkins Glen 1968 (Kit STARTER modified)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1074 - Winner Monza 1968
(Kit STARTER modified)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1001 - DNF Monza 1968
(BOX Models modified)

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1079 - DNF Spa 1968 (BOX Models)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1075 - Winner Spa 1968
(UNIVERSAL HOBBY)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1004/1084 - 4th Spa 1968
(Kit MARSH MODELS)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1002 - 8th Spa 1968 (Kit TENARIV)

The same

Ford GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1017 - 5th Mallory Park 1968 (BOX Models)

The same

Ford G7A - Chassis J9 - Development prototype Canam 1967/8

Never raced (Kit MARSH MODELS)

The same

Sunday, October 26, 2014

The 1966 season Part 3

LE MANS Trials, MONZA, TARGA FLORIO, SPA, NURBURGRING, ZELTWEG.

A 1st-2nd-3rd place twice for the 2 long races at Daytona and Sebring was an excellent start of the season but with little opposition from Ferrari. Le Mans will be be another story and they HAD to win the 24 hours. They sent no less than 8 GT40s for the traditional Le Mans trials in April : 2 Mk2 prepared by SAI, the 2 new lightweight Alan Mann cars directly arrived from Sebring, 2 Mk1 from the Scuderia Filipinetti which both wore the # 21 (!) One by Ford France and the last by Essex Wire. In addition they brought their new project started a few months early by Roy Lunn : the first "J" car. It was named from the "appendix J" of the FIA regulations. It was a completely new car using aviation technology. Its lightweight chassis gained 300 pounds from the Mk2 with basically the same mechanical components.
The trials at Le Mans were a disappointment. First Ferrari didn't come and they were not able to compare time datas with them and second, the weather didn't cooperate, it rained a lot . One Mk2 crashed, its driver died after a 5 days coma.
The Le Mans Trials line up:

   #1 - "J" Car - Chassis J1 - entered by SAI
#2 - GT40 Mk2 - Chassis 1012 - entered by SAI
#3 - GT40 Mk2 - Chassis 1011 - entered by SAI
#15 - GT40 Mk1 - Chassis AMGT2 - entered by AMR
#16 - GT40 Mk1 - Chassis AMGT1 - entered by AMR
#12 - GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1039 - entered by Scuderia Filipinetti
#12 - GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1040 - entered by Scuderia Filipinetti
#11 - GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1038 - entered by Essex Wire
#14 - GT40 Mk1 - Chassis 1007 - entered by Ford France

The 3rd round of the championship was at Monza. All Mk2 were either at SAI, AMR (Alan Mann Racing) or H&M for preparation of the 24 hours. The 2 lightweight AMR cars project was abandonned to focus on the MK2. The job to gather point for the championship went to the privateers and their Mk1s.
The Monza line up:
#5 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1010 - 2nd - entered by Essex Wire
  #9 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1040 - 3rd - entered by Scuderia Filipinetti
  #6 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1007 - 6th - entered by Ford France
  #8 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1021 - 9th - entered by J.N. Cussons
  #4 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1026 - DNF - entered by Essex Wire
  #3 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1002 - DNF - entered by F. English

The open road of the Targa Florio didn't suit the GT40 and only 1 car was entered:

  #176 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1007 - 12th - entered by Ford France

For Spa Alan Mann raced one of the Mk2 (1012) mainly to get experience racing the 7 liter car in preparation of the 24 hours. 5 more GT40 Mk1 were entered by privateers:
The Spa line up:

  #4 - GT40 Mk2 - Chassis 1012 - 2nd - entered by AMR
  #42 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1038 - 3rd - entered by Essex Wire
  #40 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1009 - 4th - entered by P. Sutcliffe
  #44 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1017 - 5th - entered by F. English
  #41 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1039 - DNF - entered by Scuderia Filipinetti
  #43 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1026 - DNF - entered by Essex Wire

It was a very good result but the win went to Ferrari.

Too closed on the calendar from the Le Mans race, the Nurburgring saw only GT40 Mk1 entered by private teams. This time the win went to Chaparral. One more opponent to watch.
The Nurburgring line up:

  #45 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1003 - 5th - entered by Ford France
  #50 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1009 - 6th - entered by P Sutcliffe
  #49 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1021 -12th - entered by L.N.Cussons
  #44 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1002 - DNF - entered by F. English
  #46 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1026 - DNF - entered by Essex Wire
  #47 - GT40 Mk1- Chassis 1010 - DNF - entered by Essex Wire

The models :