Ford’s all-purpose rally & race GT70 was the victim of World Rally Championship rule changes and successful in-house development of the Escort rally car.
After a poor showing in the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, Ford’s Stuart Turner (Competition Director) and Roger Clark (rally driver), knew that major changes were in order if Ford were to stage a comeback. Both felt that what was sorely needed was a new light, mid-engined competition machine that could handle a variety of engines for service on both rally and racing circuits. Enter the GT70.
Ford drivers, including rally greats Hannu Mikkola and Timo Makinen, supplied input as did Len Bailey (Ford GT40 design team). The mission: Design and engineer a car that was strong enough to win rallies and light enough to win races. The team produced a handful of GT70 chassis and which are still owned by Ford.
Between WRC rule changes and the success of Ford’s Escort, serious development of the GT70 was short-circuited. The GT70 shown here last raced in France in 1973 and was then mothballed. It was fully restored in 2002, including installation of a 2.0-Liter BDA engine and five-speed Hewland gearbox, and returned to the racetrack at the 2002 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
For GT70 specifications, please visit, http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/default.aspx?carID=6302&i=2#menu