The 2005 Ford GT has become one of Fordâs most iconic models in a relatively short period of time. Designed to celebrate the blue ovalâs 100th birthday, it is a car thatâs value is surging upward today. Jay Leno is famed for having an incredible collection of cars, but one of his most cherished is a red with white striped Ford GT â car number 12 off the production line no less. He invited the carâs designer to the garage to talk through some lesser known details of this American supercar.
Camilo Pardo was the Chief Designer of the Ford GT, and is full of fascinating and intricate stories about the car. Highlighting the never ending battle between designers and engineers, Camilo talks about how things such as the door mirrors and rear bumper were something of a compromise. Apparently there were some heated exchanges in meetings where he had to try and justify some elements.
An interesting insight given was in relation to the GTâs cutaway doors that hark back to the original 1960s racer. Camilo recalls them being a point of contention, because in todayâs world of tight parking spaces, they make it particularly difficult to get in and out of the car.
ÂÂ
Pardo said, "Lots of parts of the car have their story, but this, the door story was a heavy one. Yes, because you couldnât full open a door with a car parked next to it. So that was a huge issue, and I was out there measuring parking lots and distances. Because of the drama, personality and characteristics of the vehicle, that was like a signature door." He mentioned that every important person in Ford hit their head on the door cutout, including Bill Ford, making its approval rather tense.
Another great Ford GT anecdote Camilo tells is about F1 legend Niki Lauda visiting the car before it was revealed. Apparently he recommended paddle shifters over the manual gearbox, and remarked that the air intake âlooks like s**tâ. He loved the rest of the car though.
It really is worth watching the full 40 minutes of this video, especially if you think you already know everything about the GT. Thereâs plenty of enthusiast trivia to relish!
Source: YouTube
Muscular 1974 Super Duty Trans Am Commands Attention
Scarfaceâs Cadillac is Available To Buy
Father And Son Reflect On 1971 Alfa Romeo Spider 1300 Junior
For Valentine's Day, Give the Gift of 760 Horsepower
URL copied to clipboard