Monday 2nd September 2002

Living Legends

GT40 rebirth is all very exciting says Robert Farago, but are we being hoodwinked?

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[Fatboy]

Spot on, top piece. Couldn't agree more about the AC Cobra.

[ATG]

The whole living legends idea is bilge. Why not reintroduce the model T while they're at it? There's nothing wrong with using the odd styling reference from old classics, but surely Ford would do better to produce something new and exciting rather than harking back to the past. It just reinforces the contrast btwn the times when they did produce some interesting cars and their current paucity of design flair and ambition.

p.s. There is a GT40 in the showroom on Queens Gate Mews round the corner from the Albert Hall (along with the usual extraordinary collection of cars). I wouldn't know one from another, but this GT40 looks like a racer (harnesses, logos etc). If your oil field has left you with some spare cash, it's worth a visit...

[Nightmare]

another brilliant article Mr Farago...though I think that the ongoing and bitter legal battle with regards to the cobra may well prove a sticky area even fords corporate dollar cant smooth over....!

I kinda like the idea of taking some of the older, classic looking cars, and turning them into something which can work on todays roads....but then I really dont have a problem with the idea of kit cars either!

N

[rxnut]

You sound like an angry individual who spent a lot of time writing an article about a fine point of the english language rather than the rather more important issue of whether they're just jerking us around again. will they even actually build a gt40? the other question you seem to have avoided was whether or not you could afford one if they did build it. who cares what they call their "group". when was the last time ford did something daring or different? all they ever seem to do is stop short of doing it right. take the mustang for example. according to all of the publications "it's almost as fast as a 'vette". this is painful for a guy who has owned them for years, and i also work for them. all that aside, if they build a new gt40, i'm a deal, just name your price!

[Stephen White]

I must agree that the phrase "living legends" is a bit precious, but the basic idea that the Cobra is even a reasonable street car is ludicrous - you can't kid me; I've been a passenger in one... They are unquestionably fast and sexy, and in their day they were a kick-ass race car, but they are no more a good "real car" than is a Dodge Viper. Now, a TVR... Imagine a modern 'TVR' design with Ford's financial muscle behind it...

[alfa dave]

Quote: will they even actually build a gt40?

I certainly think so. I work for Roush - we're doing the powertrain. See:

www.allfordmustangs.com/artman/publish/article_63.shtml

Dave

[gemini]

who cares
it looks great and hopefully sounds tremendous!

[danmangt40]

farago, this was painful to read. the gt40 may have been a crappy production automobile, but it was never intended to be. It was ford showing ferrari that they could beat them at their own game. The 40 inch height was lower than what was honestly required, but it sure was cool to have a car that low. (again, they were showing up ferrari) And don't you dare walk around smug thinking AC has built a better car. Hundreds of auto journalists who have driven Ac's, shelby's and replicas will attest to that car's absolute lack of anything resembling good handling, its only claims to fame being its racing history, its good looks, and its power to weight ratio. Compared to the heavily researched and american-english co-developed with lola gt40, the cobra was an absolute pig. Yes it looks good, and yes its still the same car today that it always was, but that doesn't make it better than a modern auto such as a tuscan or corvette. As for that living legends part, if someone brought babe ruth back from the dead, that would be a "living" legend, now WOULDN'T it? This entire piece was over semantics. The Mustang, the Thunderbird, and the GT40 are all names that have special history with the blue oval, and they are legends b/c they are remembered fondly. Technically, if Ford wanted to bring back the edsel, that too would be a legend, but I don't think they're silly enough to.

[VictorMeldrew]

Semantics!

The GT40 is undenaibaly a legendary car. If they bring it back into production, irrespective of its production history or lack of it, it will be "living" in the sense of being in current production. Ergo a "living legend".

Someone needs to get a life.