Video: Ford GT Documentary – The Return: Chapter 1 (The Decision)

The desire to win at Le Mans is what drove Henry Ford II to create the Ford GT 40 in the 1960s. It took vision, ingenuity and fearlessness to take the dive into racing at Le Mans. Taking the Ford GT racing now is yet another defining moment for the company. It’s time for the Ford GT to return. In all, four Ford GTs will compete globally for championship titles in 2016 for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing. Two will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and two will race in the FIA World Endurance Championship. All four will race in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

"The Decision," the first of five video shorts, features Bill Ford Jr., Raj Nair, Dave Pericak and Edsel B. Ford II, who attended the 1966 race with his father Henry Ford II. The shorts will culminate in one long-form documentary that will follow the development of both the Street Car and Race Car version of the Ford GT from the decision to build the cars to the return to the Le Mans 24 Hours.

QUOTES
"You have to be at your best to win a race, because the competition is so, so hard. Every second matters. Every millimeter on the car matters. That’s what’s really sexy about racing, is what it takes to win."

"I always say ‘we work for a company called Ford Motor Company, but we actually work for a family – and that’s called the Ford family.’ So it’s important for us to be able to go back to Le Mans and do it in a way that celebrates the heritage and also, hopefully, if we’re successful, give the Ford family something I would love to give them, which is that trophy."

– Dave Pericak,
Global Director, Ford Performance

"To win a race, you have to have incredible commitment."

"I think we’ve always been thinking about building another Ford GT. I think what drove it was the 50^th anniversary of the win in ’66 coming up. We felt we really had to do something to honor that win…It represents honoring our heritage. Our heritage is very important. At our heart, we’re a family company."

– Raj Nair,
Executive VP, Global Product Development and Chief Technical Officer

"You race to win. You don’t race to hope you do well. You don’t race to have a nice looking car. You race to win."

"Sure, it’s a big risk, but not when you add in reputation, halo effect, and the morale boost it gives anybody who loves the Ford brand. This car will, in the scheme of our earnings, not make much difference. But in the reputation of Ford Motor Company, which is something I care deeply about, this car will be huge.

– Bill Ford
Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company