The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It is so far the only car, built by an American company, to win overall at this prestigious event. It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). Chassis # P-1075, which won in 1968 and 1969 (the only car in Le Mans history to win the race more than once) used a 4.7-liter Ford engine enlarged to 4.9-liter (also known as a 5.0) with special alloy Gurney-Weslake cylinder head.
Early cars were simply named “Ford GT”. The name “GT40″ was the name of Ford’s project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.