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Ford's latest incarnation of the fabled GT 40 will
race at Le Mans in 2016. (Image source: blog.caranddriver.com)
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In NO particular order - obviously due to its
Corporate sponsorship by GM, naturally their Flagship Sports Car seemed to be
featured prominently in the many articles gracing the Detroit News
Business section, since after all, NOBODY can afford to have a Stand-alone
Automobile Newspaper section these days; but I digress...
Alas, I found it pretty entertaining, and
very astute how the Corvette museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky is embracing
their Sink Hole Disaster, for which not surprisingly, attendance swelled at the
museum last year! Now, like A-L-L businesses, i.e.; Museums, etc, how do they
keep the enthusiasm, and more importantly attendance, nee entrance fees (income
revenues) up?
Hmm? Guess I'd
better renew my yearly Family Membership to Tacoma's FANTASTIC LeMay Americas
Car Museum, Eh! For which I last scribbled 'bout in;
Meanwhile, naturally Car Enthusiasts the
World Over rejoiced 'bout "Muscle Cars" being the last segment to go
"Reorge Rettson" full-tilt AAstro Autonomous on us!
As I've previously mused 'bout how Autonomous Cars
will surely be thy Death Noll for Auto racing in the future, right?
Meanwhile, thanks largely to a "Foreigner;"
Hey! Yuhs didn't think I was gonna leave Corvette's Blue Oval nemesis outta
this story, did Yuhs?
While due to another "Foreigner" simply
known as Zora, albeit probably Mr. Zora Arkus-Duntov to us, one of
America's most revered true two-seat Sports Cars truly blossomed!
Yet I tend to forget that thee original
"Doctor Z" (Zora
Arkus-Duntov) also worked his magic upon despised arch
rival "FoMoCo's" (Ford Motor Company) fabled Flathead V-8 with his Arden
high Performance aluminum Heads.
Not to mention that his ultimately banned
Corvette Grand Sport's - presumably a continuation of the fabled Corvette SS
racers, for which I've seen one on display at the IMS Hall of Fame museum
previously - also came courtesy 'O Zora's leadership.
Although Zora intended to build 125 examples
of this lightweight 'Vette, only five were built and raced briefly before General
Motors put the Kybosh upon them, since Duntov had built them in secret without
corporate blessing!
Although a later Blue Oval driver with the moniker
of "SuperTex," nee A.J. Foyt drove one! Foyt simply drove anything he
could get his mitts upon.
Whilst other Bowtie luminaries such as 'El
Capitano, aka Roger Penske and Jim Hall drove them, along with 'BONDO, (Bob
Bondurant) whose played both sides of the fence - while I've seen Tom
Armstrong's beautiful example many times in anger at local Vintage Car races.
As this ultimate 'Vette Was built to defeat charmed Snake Oil magnet 'Ol
'Shel's all conquering Cobra's.
And another revered vehicle from those
Halcyon '60's is making its return to le Circuit de la Sarthe next year, which
Carroll Shelby guided its predecessor to back-to-back victories nearly a
half century ago - when Ford and its
iconic Ford GT 40's won Le Mans twice under Blue Oval's Iron Hand leader simply
known as "The Deuce!"
As Henry Ford II was so enraged over Enzo
Ferrari's slight towards buying his 'lil car company that he ordered management
to defeat Enzo at the revered French endurance classic whatever it costs! With
GT 40 derivatives ultimately winning four consecutive years with some English
Chaps running under John Wyer's tutelage in 1968-69!