Ford produced the GT40 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four consecutive times from 1966 to 1969.
The GT40 program began after Ford failed to acquire Ferrari in 1963. Ford then pursued endurance-racing success with a purpose-built mid-engined car, developed with help from Lola Cars, later engineering partners, and racing organizations in Britain and the United States.
The breakthrough came in 1966, when the GT40 Mk II finished first, second, and third at Le Mans. It defeated Ferrari after the Italian marque had dominated the event during the early 1960s. Ford repeated the overall victory in 1967, 1968, and 1969.
The car was called GT40 because its approximate height was 40 inches. The winning 1966 cars used large Ford V8 engines, while later versions used different engine and body specifications. The GT40 is often confused with later Ford GT road cars, which are modern reinterpretations rather than the original Le Mans racer.