History

The GT40 Enthusiasts Club was formed in 1985 as the GT40 Replica Club. Follow this link to see the founding issue of our magazine Fortyfication ... click here. It catered for people who wanted to re-create the GT40 at a fraction of the cost. Most people bought one of Ken Attwell's KVA kits, the earliest of which used a Cortina front sub frame, Ford Essex engine and Cortina rear drum brakes. Very few pictures are available of these early cars, as they weren't very quick and didn't handle all that well; most were converted to a more accurate representation of the original suspension the rear disc brakes.

In May 1998, it was felt that there was more to GT40s than replicas and that the Club should encompass all forms of the GT40. So, the GT40 Enthusiasts Club was formed out of the old Replica Club. Now, in addition to replicas, there are GT40 continuations and re-creations, as well as original cars and the Ford GT.

Development of the Replica

The GT40 replica has also evolved throughout the Club's evolution. Space frames have developed into monocoques. There are now specialist companies who can undertake any aspect of construction or repair, mostly from specially fabricated parts. But, because the body shape has been 'pulled' from an original car, nearly all replica bodies will fit most chassis. This gives the talented builder enormous scope to take or build a chassis, put selected suspension, steering and brakes on it, select a suitable gearbox - ZF, Renault UN1, Audi, Porsche and buy an adaptor for the Small Block Ford engine that powers the vast majority through a Holley 4 barrel carburettor, quad Webers or fuel injection. Onto this will fit one of a number of bodies, with a standard windscreen fitting most of them.

When they were based on donor parts from the Ford Cortina, all GT40 replicas carried Q plates. With the increasing use of specially fabricated parts, new registrations have been easier to obtain, so a large number of cars in the Club carry period 1960s registrations.