Ford GT: Up Close With a Modern Classic

photo: David Shankweiler

​I visited Karl Flammer Ford in Tarpon Springs, Florida a while back on business and decided to photograph this Ford GT I’ve been loving for two or three years. The very-low mileage Ford GT belongs to Karl Flammer and is one of a little over four thousand production models built. Inspired by the legendary Ford GT-40’s of the 1960’s, the GT was sold in 2005 and 2006 after being released as a prototype show car to celebrate the 2004 centennial of Ford. 

above: Supercharged 550 horsepower v-8 under glass
photo: David Shankweiler

The Ford GT’s 5.4-liter modular, mid-mounted v-8 engine features a Lysholm twin-screw supercharger, all-aluminum block and heads, double overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder, generating 550 horsepower. An early 2004 test by Car and Driver reported a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph - street legal off the showroom floor. Besides not being able to bring home groceries, expect average gas mileage of around 14 mpg.
Aside from a familiar resemblance to the GT-40, the GT’s construction shares little in common with the historic racer. What I find to be the most interesting of the high-tech methods employed to build the GT is the use of superplasticity to manufacture highly stressed pieces with complex shapes, like the GT’s chassis/frame units. Superplasticity is used to heat titanium alloys, stainless steel alloys and aluminum alloys to the consistency of hot plastic for thermoforming, blow forming and vacuum forming with inert gasses. 

photo: David Shankweiler

​Historical Footnote: The original Ford GT-40 program from the 1960’s came about as a result of Henry Ford II’s attempt to purchase the Ferrari car company in Maranello, Italy. What appeared to be a marriage made in heaven of the small performance manufacturer and the mighty Ford Motor Company, suddenly ended with Enzo Ferrari walking out of the deal. Enraged, Ford spent several years and millions of dollars to build a homologated sports car that would beat Ferrari at its’ own game. The late Carroll Shelby was brought in to help develop the GT40, beginning with performance testing of the prototype. Shelby and his team of hotrodders and mechanics developed the car into a winner. Eventually the Ford Motor Company won the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1966, with a 1-2-3 finish. This vindication for Ford became a run of four consecutive winning years, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969. This history is conveyed in the movie Ford vs. Ferrari.