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Painting of Jack Juratovic’s mythological representation of an AC 2900 Alpha Rameo.
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GT-40 and Jack Juratavic (104)In the early 1960s, European cars dominated the race world, but American Henry Ford II was determined to win the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. In his quest, Ford first tried to buy Ferrari, but then set out to manufacture his own vehicle. The result was the Ford GT40, which went on to win almost every major race on the 1960s motor sports calendar. And the GT40 did win the Le Mans 24-Hour Race, four times from 1966 to 1969, and also brought home the Sports Car Championship for Ford in 1968. Today, the price of a GT40 MK-II is around $650,000 and the MK-I will set you back $850,000. GT40 replicas are also holding their value at $30-120,000, and enthusiast's clubs abound.
One group has taken the lead in working to gain recognition for automotive fine art as a serious art form. The Automotive Fine Art Society (AFAS) was established in 1982 and continues its work of raising the standards of automotive art while promoting and publicizing the work of its 32 members. The AFAS publishes a journal and holds two exhibits annually, at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August and the Amelia Island Concours in Florida in March. The group also sponsors an annual Kids Automotive Art Contest, which benefits the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation. After receiving a successful transplant, Shelby, a legendary racer, established the foundation to help children in need pay for heart transplants and kidney operations.
Ford GT40 Facts:
- The first Le Mans was held on May 29, 1923, with 33 cars.
- In 1963, Henry Ford II came close to purchasing Ferrari but at the last moment Enro Ferrari backed out with cold feet.
- The Ford GT40 brought together Ford US and Ford Europe — the engine was designed and built in the U.S. and the body manufactured in Europe.
- In 1969, the GT40 had record speeds of 217 mph; the average car reaches only 90 mph.
- The GT40 Enthusiast's Club was formed in 1985, soon after Ken V. Atwell made the first replica in England.
- The GT40 Enthusiast's Club draws its largest membership from England, but is making strong gains in Belgium, Australia, and the U.S.
Resources:
Le Mans 24 Hours
by Brian Laban
Ford GT40: Production & Racing History Individual Chassis Record
by Trevor Legate
Ford, the Dust and the Glory: A Racing History, 1901-1967
by Leo Levine
Roaring Forties GT40s Website
www.gt40.org
History of the GT40, gallery information, and current news.
GT40 Entusiasts Club
www.gt40club.clara.net
Includes history, buying, and selling information.
Ford
www.fordheritage.com
Detailed history of the Ford motor company for the last 100 years.
Automobile Club de L'Ouest
Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans
72019 Le Mans Cedex 2
France
Telephone: +33 2 43 40 24 24 / 77
Fax: +33 2 43 40 24 15
sport@lemans.org (sports information)
presse@lemans.org (press information)
Automotive Art Facts:
- The Automotive Fine Art Society offers an automotive fine arts purchasing guide, with pointers on works that are pleasurable and profitable.
- AFAS member and artist Jack Juratovic's work has appeared on the cover of Automobile Quarterly.
- Artists can become members of the Automotive Fine Art Society by invitation only.
- New members are voted into the AFAS during "the admission of Great Artists" following the Pebble Beach show.
- The Carroll Shelby Foundation helps needy children pay for heart transplants, with the help of the AFAS and Road and Track magazine.
Resources:
Customized: Art Inspired by Hot Rods, Low Riders, and American Car Culture
by Brenda Jo Bright, et al
Cool Cars, High Art: The Rise of Kustom Kulture
by John F. DeWitt
50 Years of Road and Track: The Art of the Automobile
by William A. Motta
The Automotive Fine Arts Society
Box 613
Temecula, CA 92593
www.autoartgallery.com
The Automotive Fine Arts Society Journal
Editor Jack Juratovic
PO Box 324
Lake Orion, MI 48361-0324
248-814-0647
Carroll Shelby's Children's Foundation
19012 S. Figueroa St.
Gardena, CA 90248
310-327-5072
pearlscf@aol.com
www.shelbychildernsfoundation.org
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