Title :KAR-KRAFT: RACE CARS,
Prototypes and Muscle Cars of Ford’s Specialty Vehicle
Activity Program
Publisher CarTech1 /6/17
Author :Charlie Henry
Binding Hard Cover
Pages : Pages : 192
Number of photos: Illustrations : 136 color, 196 b/w
Dimensions : 25.4 x 25.4 cm
ISBN :9781613252864
Book Number : CT-569
Book Condition NEW
Language English
Country of
Publication: :US
Availability: IN STOCK
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ABOUT
::
-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.”
Author Biography:
Charlie Henry, in addition to working at the Kar-Kraft
facility, earned a degree in automotive mechanics and shared
his passion and knowledge with high school, community college,
and university students. During nearly 20 years in Chrysler’s
performance and race parts group, Charlie managed aftermarket
sales, special events, and various product lines. After
leaving Chrysler, Charlie started his own consulting business
to serve the performance and race aftermarket. Although he has
written several magazine articles, this is his first book.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Prelude to Kar-Kraft: A Little Concept Car
Chapter 2: Ford Meets Ferrari: Shopping for a Race Winner
Chapter 3: Preparing for Le Mans: The GT 40
Chapter 4: The Creation of Kar-Kraft: From Slough to Dearborn
Chapter 5: Going for the Win: The Mk II and Mk IV
Chapter 6: Boss 302: How to Win in Trans-Am
Chapter 7: Boss 429: Just Crazy and Hairy
Chapter 8: Other Race Cars: It Wasn’t All GT 40s
Chapter 9: Prototypes and Experiments: Fun in the Shop
Chapter 10: Special Vehicles and Projects: More Than Just Race
Cars
Chapter 11: The Checkered Flag: All Good Things Must End
Epilogue
Index
Industry Reviews
“It’s a great read with many individual stories and pictures
never before seen.”–Mark Weisseg (07/20/2017)
“A solid read from a passionate insider.”–Mark
Wigginton”American Car Collector” (10/27/2017)
“You may not have asked for it, or have known that you wanted
it, but–now that you have it–it is a treasured possession.”–
(08/11/2017)
“A stellar book on many of the hottest cars to ever wear the
‘Blue Oval’.”–Old Cars Weekly (11/16/2017)
“An engrossing history of the company…”– (12/08/2017)
Awarded the M.J. Duryea Memorial Cup award for outstanding
contribution to automotive history.– (02/15/2018)
“You don’t have to bleed blue to appreciate this
comprehensively researched and fascinating book.”–Muscle Car
Review (04/11/2018)
2018 Silver Medalist – Best Book– (08/07/2018)
“Any Ford fan will be thrilled to dive into this well-crafted,
attractively presented book.”– (12/08/2017)
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