A Limited Edition 14 in. x 18.625 in. Giclee print on 140 lb watercolor stock
Signed and Numbered by Artist Kevin Koch
In 1964 Henry Ford II and his Ford Motor Company began a serious assault on the world of endurance sports car racing and its premier player, Ferrari. In spite of significant initial efforts, however, aerodynamic, gearbox and other problems kept the Ford GT 40 from being successful. As a result, in October of 1964 an impatient Henry Ford II asked Carroll Shelby to take on the GT 40 project and make a winner out of it. Shelby and his crew of mechanical magicians (backed by Ford engineers) had only four months in the fall and winter of 1964/1965 to transform a fast but problematic car into a winner. The result was not only a beautiful race car but a machine that won its first time in competition. The redesigned GT 40 captured the overall win at the 2,000 km Daytona Continental in February 1965 and the Prototype class at the Sebring 12 hour one month later. The hard work and long hours put in by the Shelby mechanics and test drivers such as Ken Miles seen here was the inspiration for this painting. This development work laid the foundation for a succession of car designs that would win four straight Le Mans 24 hour races from 1966 through 1969. The orginal oil on stretched canvas paintine is also available.