Two giants test the performance of their sports cars on the oldest long-distance Sports car racing in the world: Myths still surround Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari's feud and their high-performance endurance racing cars Ford GT40 and Ferrari 250 GTO have advanced to become top-class collector's items. But what is the reason for its specialness? A comparison of design, specifications and performance follows.
Ford GT40 vs. Ferrari 250 GTO: In order to outperform the competitor Ferrari and to raise the falling sales prices again, Ford designed the Ford GT40 engine as part of the “Ford Grand Touring” project. The car itself impresses with its timeless charisma, the famous 40 stands for the permissible minimum of 40 inches, which gives it a unique design – not least thanks to the Ford GT40 interior. The MK II model, with a 4-speed manual gearbox with rear-wheel drive and a new 7-litre engine, would finally outperform Ferrari in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. After all, the Ford GT40 impressed with a horsepower of 485. With a height of 1029 mm, a width of 1778 mm, a length of 4240 mm and a weight of 950 kg, the technical data of the Ford GT40 were clearly superior to those of an average European counterpart.
The Ferrari vintage car is in great demand and keeps setting price records. This is not least due to the combination of high performance level, attractive design and minimalist interior. A V12 Ferrari 250 GTO engine mated to a rear-wheel drive 5-speed manual gearbox and an aerodynamically sculpted 250 Testa Rossa body designed by Sergio Scaglietti contribute to the car's versatility – it is also road-legal. The technical data of the Ferrari 250 GTO are as follows: its height is 1245 mm; it is 1674 mm wide, 1245 mm long and weighs 950 kg. The car's successes were impressive: in addition to the podium finishes at the Le Mans races, it was able to win three world championship titles, as the Ferrari 250 GTO achieves the powerful output of 300 horsepower.
It can be said that both models are beyond the times, both in terms of quality and appearance concerning vehicles. The history of both of these racers certainly adds to their appeal, so their iconic value isn't just down to their designs. Ultimately, it is up to the collector to decide which model and its story appeals to them the most.
