GT40 Mirage : GT 102

Thursday, February 26, 2015

GT 102

Ford GT Chassis GT 102

GT 102 was sent to the preliminary test at Le Mans with only 25 miles covered. As for the sister car GT 101, it crashed during testing but was able to be repaired and saw more testing at the M.I.R.A. and Goodwood.
It was the first GT40 to see a race. It was entered for the 1000 Km of the Nurburgring - Qualified 2nd but retired after only 15 laps (suspension troubles). After more testing at the M.I.R.A. it was sent to Le Mans. The best of the 3 Fords, it retired nonetheless after 13 hours (Gearbox problems). Repaired for the 12 hours of Reims it didn't finished there either. it was then sent to Monza where John Whitmore crashed it during practice and, too damaged, the car was scrapped.

The models:

Ford GT - Chassis GT 102 - April test Le Mans 1964 (BIZARRE)

The same

Ford GT - Chassis GT 102 - DNF Nurburgring 1964 (BIZARRE)

The same

Ford GT - Chassis GT 102 - Quit 14th hour Le Mans 1964
(Kit MARSH MODELS)

The same

GT 102 - April 1964 test days at Le Mans

GT 102 at Le Mans 1964

GT 102 at Le Mans 1964 - Fighting with a Maserati

GT 102 at Le Mans 1964

GT 102 at the Nurburgring in 1964

GT 102 after the start at the Nurburgring in 1964

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The 1964 season

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: