Kar Kraft: Race Cars, Prototypes and Muscle Cars of Ford's Specialty Vehicle Activity Program. Questo articolo non è disponibile.Kar Kraft: Race Cars, Prototypes and Muscle Cars of Ford's Specialty Vehicle Activity Program

Get the inside story of how Ford used Kar-Kraft to win Le Mans and take revenge on Ferrari, succeed in NASCAR, NHRA, Trans-Am, and Can-Am racing, create prototypes, and produce muscle for the street.

For the first time ever, author Charlie Henry, a former Kar-Kraft employee, provides an in-depth look into this skunkworks facility. Additional insight and recollections from more than 10 other former Kar-Kraft employees are included as well.

The story of Kar-Kraft began, as did many others in the automotive industry, with an axe to grind. In 1963, Ford was seriously interested in purchasing Ferrari. Ferrari was a legendary brand with considerable success in racing, and Ford saw the acquisition as a great way to be instantly successful in the racing arena. When Enzo Ferrari realized that Ford would not give him complete control of the racing program, he backed out of the deal late in the process. Ford had spent millions in vetting and audits, which then set in motion a vengeful response against Ferrari. The result was the unthinkable: Ford beat Ferrari at Le Mans.

Ford wanted to become competitive quickly, but it did not have the race history or resources in house. To remedy the situation, Ford searched the U.K. for an independent company to help accelerate its race car development. It first settled on Lola Cars and set up Ford Advanced Vehicles. Later, Ford brought its Le Mans effort to the U.S. and the Kar-Kraft relationship was established. Although Kar-Kraft was technically an independent company, it really only had one customer: Ford Special Vehicles. Kar-Kraft's story doesn't begin and end with the GT 40 that took the win away from Ferrari at Le Mans. Ford expanded upon the program and organized an all-out assault on racing in general. In addition, street versions of the Boss 429 were assembled under its roof. And fabled prototypes, including the LID Mustang, Boss 302 Maverick, and Mach 2C, were all assembled in Ford's contracted race shop. And then, out of the blue, its doors closed for good on a cold day in 1970.

History tells us that Ford won Le Mans, the Daytona 500, and the Trans-Am championship. But it doesn't tell us how this was accomplished. Henry does just that. Whether you’re a racing enthusiast, history buff, or a fan of Fords in general, this book is required reading for your shelf."

Acknowledgments 

Chapter 1: Prelude to Kar-Kraft: A Little Concept Car 
The Concept 
Mustang Takes a Bow 
What’s in a Name? 

Chapter 2: Ford Meets Ferrari: Shopping for a Race Winner 
An Invitation to Dance 
Establishing Ford’s Racing Objectives 
Why Go Racing? 

Chapter 3: Preparing for Le Mans: The GT 40 
The Beginning of Ford Advanced Vehicles 
The Cast of Characters 
The GT 40s in America 

Chapter 4: The Creation of Kar-Kraft: From Slough to Dearborn 
Opening the Door 
Kar-Kraft Facilities 
Kar-Kraft “Pit Crew” 

Chapter 5: Going for the Win: The Mk II and Mk IV 
Back in the States: The Mk II 
Le Mans 1966 
Designing the J Car 
Mk IV FIA Sports Prototype 
Sebring 1967 
Le Mans 1967 

Chapter 6: Boss 302: How to Win in Trans-Am 
1969 Boss 302 Mustang Production Prototype 
Building the 1969 Boss 302 Race Cars 
Moonlighters and the Chassis Manual 

Chapter 7: Boss 429: Just Crazy and Hairy 
Knudsen’s Vision 
The Boss Lands in Kar-Kraft’s Lap 
Fat Cats: The Boss 429 Cougars 

Chapter 8: Other Race Cars: It Wasn’t All GT 40s 
X-1 Experimental Modified Sports 
Can-Am G7-A 
Torino Talladega/Cyclone Spoiler II 
The Car and Driver Boss
Mirage Racers 

Chapter 9: Prototypes and Experiments: Fun in the Shop
Mach II Experimental Sports Cars 
Low Investment Driveline Mustang 
Boss 429 Maverick 
King Cobra 
Boss 351 Mustang 
Super Mach 1 
Composite Mustangs 
Boss 302 Maverick 
Ferguson Four-Wheel Drive Special Bronco 
Dune Buggy 
Rumble Seat Cougar 
Boss 429 Fairlane 
429 CJ Boss 302 
Conclusion 

Chapter 10: Special Vehicles and Projects: More Than Just Race Cars 
The Australian Falcons 
Bunkie Knudsen’s Torino Talladega 
Knutsen’s Runaway Boss 429 
Edsel Ford’s Boss 302/351 Mustang 
1972 Lincoln Armored Presidential Limousine 
Techna Concept 
Fixed-Seat Moveable Pedal Package 
1970 Shelby Mustangs 

Chapter 11: The Checkered Flag: All Good Things Must End
Cancellation FactorsFinancial Arrangements 
Vehicles on the Register 
The Audits 
The Final Word 

Epilogue 
The New Kar-Kraft and Continuation Mk IVs 
A Final Note 

Index