What material was the GT40 made of?
The Ford GT40 was built with an aluminum alloy body supported by a steel tubular chassis, combining light weight with structural strength for endurance racing.
Developed in the early 1960s to challenge Ferrari at Le Mans, the GT40’s construction reflected the era’s racing engineering: a strong yet lightweight package designed to maximize speed and handling. While the specifics varied slightly between early prototypes and later production-focused variants, the core approach remained consistent: aluminum body panels on a steel frame to minimize weight and optimize rigidity.
Materials and Construction Details
Before diving into the specifics, it’s useful to note the general material strategy that defined the GT40’s design.
- Aluminum alloy body panels (skin and some structural elements) to reduce overall weight
- Steel tubular space-frame chassis for strength and crash resistance
- Magnesium components in select fittings and ancillaries where further weight savings were pursued
- Aluminum engine blocks in many versions, contributing to the car’s lightweight powertrain
In practice, the combination of an aluminum body over a steel chassis was central to the GT40’s performance, enabling a competitive power-to-weight ratio in endurance racing.
Chassis vs Body: How they fit together
The GT40’s tubular steel frame provided the fundamental load-bearing structure, while the aluminum body panels were affixed to this frame to create the car’s aerodynamic silhouette. This arrangement allowed Ford to keep weight down without compromising rigidity, a crucial factor for high-speed endurance racing across Le Mans campaigns.
Variants and material choices
Across its racing history, the GT40 saw slight material variations as teams refined the design. The core approach—aluminum bodywork paired with a steel frame—remained a defining characteristic, with some components and assemblies using alloys chosen for further weight reduction or heat management.
Summary
The GT40 was primarily built with an aluminum alloy body mounted on a steel tubular chassis. This combination balanced light weight with the structural strength needed for endurance racing, a hallmark of Ford’s strategic approach to challenging Ferrari in the 1960s.
What was the Ford GT40 body made of?
The J-car was a GT40 prototype that included several unique features, most notably an aluminium-honeycomb chassis construction and a "bread-van" body-design that experimented with "Kammback" aerodynamic theories.
Was the GT40 fiberglass?
The changes continued as lighter-weight fiberglass replaced heavier aluminum and steel, and wider magnesium wheels replaced the wire-spoke version along with a hundred other modifications. Suddenly, the GT40 began to not only look like a racing car, but to perform like one.
What material is the Ford GT made of?
carbon fiber monocoque
Underpinning the new GT is a carbon fiber monocoque bolted to aluminum front and rear subframes covered in carbon fiber body panels.
How much is an original GT40 worth?
An original Ford GT40 is worth several million dollars, with prices varying based on factors like its specific model year, condition, and racing history. While a standard model can sell for around $5 to $7 million, a rare prototype or a car with significant racing provenance (like a Le Mans winner) can exceed $10 million, with one notable 1966 model selling for $7 million and a 1968 model fetching $11 million.
- Average and recent sales: A 1966 Ford GT40 sold for $7.04 million in early 2025. Another 1966 model sold for $6.93 million in January 2024.
- Factors influencing price: A car's value is heavily influenced by its history, originality, condition, and model year.
- Price for rare models: Cars with extensive racing history, especially with Le Mans victories, are the most valuable. A 1968 model sold for $11 million, and the first Ford to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 was reportedly sold privately for $22 million in 2014.
- Price range: For a standard, road-going GT40 in good condition, prices are typically in the $5 million to $7 million range. For a more valuable, race-spec version, expect to pay $10 million or more.
