Tags: 427 Cobra / Boss 429 / Carroll Shelby / Cobra Daytona Coupe / Flathead / Ford GT40 / FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE / Indy 500 / Kar-Kraft / Le Mans / Martyn Schorr / Musclecars / NASCAR / NHRA drag racing

FORD: TOTAL PERFORMANCE, ROAD & TRACK!

- Minggu, 13 Desember 2015 No Comments

CarGuyChronicles Editor and Ford GT owner, Martyn Schorr chronicles Ford’s rich performance heritage from the 1920s through the golden age of musclecars. And, takes you inside Ford’s Skunk Works.

FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE is 208 slick pages of Ford race and street car history from 1920s Fours, 1930s-1940s Flatheads, 1950s Y-Blocks and 1960s to 1971 big-blocks. It showcases Boss 302-351-429 Mustangs, Shelby GT Mustangs, Shelby & AC Cobras, Pantera, Torinos, Sunbeam Tiger & Lola-Ford GT and GT40s. Plus extensive coverage of drag racing, NASCAR, Indy, Trans-Am, Le Mans, Cosworth F1, Lotus-Cortina, ending with 2005-2006 GT and 2017 GT. Plus a lot of inside info, putting the reader inside Ford’s Skunk Works: SVA & Kar Kraft and the true story of its implosion. Lots of period photography from the author and Ford’s archives, many never seen before.

Here’s what the media has had to say about FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE:

Autoweek EDITOR’S PICK: “In Ford Total Performance, Martyn L. Schorr takes a look at the Blue Oval’s metamorphosis in the 1960s from a company more focused on safety to one concerned with exciting the emotions of baby boomers coming of age, Autoweek, Dec. 7, 2015.



"Even the most devoted Ford fanatic will learn new things about their favorite make, but anyone interested in cars should read this book. Knowing how Ford-powered cars impacted the world racing scene and the evolution of the American muscle car will allow the reader a better understanding of automotive history. This is a must have book for any Ford performance car enthusiast. FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE is a winner," Steve Natale, Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/review/ford-total-performance-is-a-winner

“The book is chalk full of unpublished period photographу, including photos and artwork from designers that compliment the well written text bу Martуn L. Schorr. Schorr was there when it all happened, being the editor of Hi-Performance CARS magazine in the sixties and knew manу of the keу plaуers in Ford ’s racing program. Lee Holman, son of John Holman, wrote the Foreword. Holman & Moodу ’s close relationship with Ford performance is legendary, and his insights are most interesting,” Admin, Newspaper Post. http://www.newspaperpost.com/2015/11/17/ford-total-performance-is-a-winner/

“He thoroughly documents the cars, the people that made it happen, and the process that Ford used to get its performance hardware in front of the public. Martyn also reveals insights and interesting side stories about the era, and facts that weren’t included in the press releases,” Gary Smith, Dean’s Garage. http://deansgarage.com/2015/ford-total-performance-book-review/comment-page-1/

“Many of the images are never before published material from Schorr’s archives. Schorr, who lived the Total Performance era as an automotive journalist (as the editor of Hi-Performance CARS), met and knew many of the stars of the era and was able to reconnect with those still with us for inside stories and additional photography to put together a stellar title that any Ford fan will want on their bookshelf,” Mark Houlahan, Mustang 360/Mustang Monthly/Hot Rod Online. http://www.hotrod.com/news/1511-ford-total-performance-by-martyn-l-schorr-covers-the-heyday-of-factory-racing-support/

"Marty Schorr has fifty years worth of experience with performance cars. He also has fifty years worth of photographs he took during that time. He shares them in this book – some which have been used before and some which have not. For detail freaks it is a treasure trove. There have been a lot of books written about performance Fords. We know, because we have a wall full of book shelves filled with them. We are happy to add Marty Schorr's book to our shelf. If you're reading this review, you will be, too." – (SAAC) Shelby American 



‪"Ford fans are going to love this book...' '...chock full of stunning photos, this is a Ford nut's dream come true. Well written, nicely illustrated and a real nostalgia trip. It's great!' Classic American Magazine, January 2016, UK



FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE is available from Motorbooks: http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9780760348581/Ford-Total-Performance.html and Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Ford-Total-Performance-Complete-High-Performance/dp/0760348588/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429561181&sr=1-1&keywords=Ford+Total+Performance%2C+martyn+Schorr

Tags: Carroll Shelby / Cobra Daytona Coupe / Endurance Racing / FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE / Goodwood / Martyn Schorr / Peter Brock / Phil Spector / Shelby Cobra / Shelby Daytona Coupe / Simeone Foundation Museum

SHELBY DAYTONA COUPE: 2015 GOODWOOD REVIVAL!

- Senin, 31 Agustus 2015 No Comments

One of the world’s rarest Cobras, CSX2287, will 'cross the pond 'next month for the prestigious Goodwood Revival.

 The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum’s ‘64 Shelby Daytona Coupe will  be featured at the Goodwood Revival from September 11-13 2015. This annual festival is a celebration of historic motor racing which attracts over 150,000 spectators. It features priceless racing cars displayed in historically accurate themed dioramas, with the 50th anniversary of the Daytona Coupe as this year’s theme.



The 2015 Goodwood Revival is the first trip to Europe for CSX2287 since its final race in the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans. For the first time in many years, it will be reunited with all five other Daytona Coupes. Designed by Peter Brock, it was built in 1964-‘65 by Shelby American Inc. for international competition, in 1965 it became the first American-built car to win the World Championship by defeating the Ferrari team.

The first or prototype coupe was CSX2287 (the actual second chassis), scratch built at Shelby’s Venice, CA facility with an aluminum body crafted by California Metal Shaping in Los Angeles. It was the first built, first raced, and the only coupe bodied in the U.S. Five other Cobra chassis earmarked for coupe production were shipped to Carrozzeria Grand Sport in Modena, Italy to be bodied.



It competed in 8 races and, at the conclusion of the 1965 season, was retired from competition. It made one final appearance at a Goodyear tire testing session at the Bonneville Salt Flats in November 1965 where it set 25 land speed records.





The car was briefly used on the streets of Hollywood in the late-1960s by music impresario Phil Spector, and then it disappeared for over 30 years. In 2001 the car was rediscovered and joined the collection of Dr. Frederick A. Simeone, and in 2008 it became a centerpiece of Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.



In 2014, CSX2287 was the first car named to the Historic Vehicle Association’s National Historic Vehicle Register, thus becoming the first car recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior under their U.S. Heritage Documentation Standards. It also won the 2014 International Historic Motoring Awards’ “Car of the Year” as voted on by the public, thus becoming the first American car to ever win the award.

Located in Philadelphia, PA, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is one of the world’s greatest collections of racing sports cars. Through its theme, “The Spirit of Competition”, it celebrates the history and evolution of these magnificent machines. Assembled over 50 years by Dr. Frederick Simeone, the Museum contains over 65 historically significant cars including Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Mercedes, Jaguar, Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford and more. The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. For more information please visit http://www.simeonemuseum.org



Shelby Daytona Coupe CSX2287 is featured in FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE, Ford’s Legendary High-Performance Street and Race Cars, by Martyn L. Schorr, http://www.amazon.com/Ford-Total-Performance-Complete-High-Performance/dp/0760348588/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429561181&sr=1-1&keywords=Ford+Total+Performance%2C+martyn+Schorr

Tags: '66 Shelby GT350 Mustang / Carroll Shelby / John Atzbach / Laguna Seca / Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion / Shelby GT350R

2015 LAGUNA SECA: SHELBY MUSTANGS RULE!

- Sabtu, 15 Agustus 2015 No Comments

Real 1965-1966 Shelby GT350 & GT350R Mustangs are showcased in this year’s Heritage Display for the track’s Featured Marque.

Today, when John Atzbach of Seattle drove his ‘65 Shelby GT 350R Mustang through the turns and straights of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, it was not because he was rehearsing for the upcoming weekend of racing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Rather, he was accommodating a special photo shoot - squeezed between practice sessions for 15 groups of historic cars here - with three of nine GT 350s (from 1965 and 1966).



"I feel very fortunate to be in possession of this remarkable car," said Atzbach, above, of his chassis #002, which is reportedly worth well north of $1 million dollars. But was dressed in grey primer and rust, having spent decades on a trailer in an open barn, when Atzbach acquired it two years ago. It was the factory's team race car for the first half of the 1965 season, driven by Ken Miles and others, taking four seconds and 12 firsts in 16 races. Then it became a test and development car for all other R models built after that."

"I enjoy so much sharing this car with the American public and especially those who know the history of the car - why it is important and how it has impacted the automobile industry," said Atzbach. His sentiments are shared by many of the owners here, especially those among the impressive group of 38 Shelby GT 350 Mustangs that will race on Saturday.

"This is more than just a bucket of bolts," said Shelby GT 350 Brand Manager Jim Owen. "There is an attitude, there is a feeling...there is a joie de vivre around this car that really makes it special. That attitude and performance of the car is what has made it an icon 50 years later."

Though the GT 350 is celebrating half a century of glory, there is a century's worth of historic cars competing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which serves as one of the cornerstones of the Monterey Peninsula's Classic Car Week. The event continues with racing for eight classes today and seven on Sunday.



For more information, please visit http://www.mazdaraceway.com/rolex-monterey-motorsports-reunion

The complete history of Carroll Shelby's GT350 & GT350R Mustangs, Cobras and GT40s is covered in a new book, FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE, written by Car Guy Chronicles editor, Martyn Schorr. Check it out @ http://www.amazon.com/Ford-Total-Performance-Complete-High-Performance/dp/0760348588/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429561181&sr=1-1&keywords=Ford+Total+Performance%2C+martyn+Schorr

Tags: Amphicar / Cadillac / Carroll Shelby / Corvette Sting Ray / Ford Model A / Jim Palam / Santa Barbara / State Street Nationals / Studebaker Hawk

MUSCLE AND BEAUTY: 2015 STATE STREET NATIONALS!

- Senin, 25 Mei 2015 No Comments

Musclecars, hot rods, classics and sports cars are proudly displayed in 

Santa Barbara, California’s Riviera.

Organizers are calling the 2015 State Street Nationals Car Show a rousing success. Thousands of visitors enjoyed more than 300 vintage, exotic and collectible cars that lined 11 blocks of downtown Santa Barbara last weekend. The Page Youth Center and The Goleta Lions Club are two of the charities benefiting from the show's proceeds. Our Jim Palam reports.

Ain't she pretty? This ‘30 Ford Model A, top, has almost as much charm as the Rocket Fizz girl who happily posed for the many photographers in attendance. Jeff Olson's Pretty in Mint  '67 Corvette Sting Ray, above, with Day Two mags is a prime example of what many believe to be “America's Favorite Sports Car.”

 It's black, it's a Hawk and it's capable of knocking you off your feet if you get too close. Tom Sanborn of Santa Barbara owns this pristine, supercharged ‘57 Studebaker Hawk, above. This bold and bright '53 Cadillac Eldorado, below, is a recent acquisition for avid car collectors Chuck and Kathy Michel. Built at the Fisher/Fleetwood plant this limited production Caddy was the first with a wrap-around windshield and convertible hard shell “parade” boot.

Fender vents on Sandy Battleman's wicked '99 Shelby American Series 1, above, are purpose built to help cool its 4-Liter Olds Aurora V8 powerplant. In 1999, this was one of the world's fastest production cars with a top speed of 185 mph.

And then there were two – wheels that is! Yes this was a car show, but no one complained about the new ‘15 KTM RC390 lightweight sportbike making an appearance. The racy RC390, above, is the new flagship of KTM’s small-displacement single-cylinder range, made up of 125, 200 and 373-cc models.

Such a Showboat! "Captain" John Friese docked his '67 Amphicar 770 curbside on Sunday. Powered by the optional high-performance Triumph Herald engine, this odd-duck is capable of

8 mph on water and 80 mph on land.

The penultimate Fiat in 1970 was the 500L. Originally launched in 1957, the 500 was a cheap and practical town car – but not this '70 500L. It's owner Maurice Kleiman's purple-passion pride and joy.



Words and photos by Jim Palam, http://www.jimpalam.com/



For more information, please visit http://www.statestreetnationals.com/

Tags: '15 Mustang GT350 / Carroll Shelby / Ford Racing / Mustang Racing Legends / SCCA / Shelby American / Shelby GT350 Mustang / Shelby GT350R

’15 SHELBY MUSTANG: ‘R’ IS FOR RACING!

- Selasa, 28 April 2015 No Comments

Ford pays tribute to Carroll Shelby’s original GT350 Mustang and builds 37 track-ready competition GT350R models.

The original ’65 Shelby GT350 and GT350R, above, established Mustang’s performance cred on racetracks around the world. The all-new Shelby GT350, featuring the most powerful naturally aspirated Ford production engine ever, re-establishes Mustang as a world-class sports car. Only 100 Shelby GT350s will feature a 2015 model year designation before production switches over to 2016. Of these, 50 will be equipped with the Technology Package and 50 equipped with the Track Package.

“Fans of the Shelby brand are among the most passionate in the automotive industry,” said Henry Ford III, Ford Performance marketing manager. “To honor the passion of our fans for Shelby GT350’s 50th anniversary, a limited run of GT350 models will be built in 2015; these cars will be highly coveted by both Mustang and Shelby enthusiasts alike.”

In 1965, Carroll Shelby, above, with '66 GT350 Mustang and 427 Cobra, developed and sold an FIA-homologated  GT350R competition model. This race-ready Mustang took to tracks around the world, competing in the most prestigious races and against the stiffest competition there was. In addition to winning the Sports Car Club of America’s B/Production national championship in 1965, 1966 and 1967, the car entered races throughout South America and Europe, including the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.



There is heated debate among Shelby enthusiasts over how many ‘65 GT350Rs were originally built. While Carroll Shelby insisted two prototype cars and 35 production models were built, most records show only 34 production models received serial numbers. For 2015, Ford will make sure there is no confusion about the number of GT350R models constructed; 37 cars will be built in Carroll Shelby’s memory.



For more information on the latest Ford vehicles, please visit http://www.ford.com/new-cars/

Tags: Carroll Shelby / Ford / Mustang / Shelby American / Shelby GT350 Mustang

2015 SHELBY GT350 MUSTANG: LEGEND RETURNS!

- Senin, 17 November 2014 No Comments

All new GT350 Mustang comes standard with 500-plus horsepower V8, the most powerful naturally aspirated Ford production engine ever.

The original Shelby GT350 introduced in 1965 established Mustang’s performance credentials on the street and road racing circuits worldwide. It builds on Carroll Shelby’s original idea – transforming a great every-day car into a dominant road racer – by taking advantage of a dramatically improved sixth-generation Mustang to create a truly special high-performance car.

Ford engineers took an innovative approach with the GT350. Rather than develop individual systems to perform well independently, every component and shape is optimized to work in concert; balance is the key.



“When we started working on this car, we wanted to build the best possible Mustang for the places we most love to drive – challenging back roads with a variety of corners and elevation changes – and the track on weekends,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “Every change we made to this car was driven by the functional requirements of a powerful, responsive powerplant – nimble, precise handling and massive stopping power.”

Early in development of the GT350, it was decided a high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 engine would best suit a track-focused Mustang.



“The final product is essentially an all-new powerplant unique to GT350 – and one that takes true advantage of the new chassis dynamics of the Mustang platform,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Global Performance Vehicles.

Powering the GT350 is a 5.2-liter engine, the first-ever production V8 from Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft, an architecture typically found only in racing applications or exotic European sports cars. Unlike a traditional V8, where the connecting rods are attached to the crankshaft at 90-degree intervals, this design evenly spaces all crank pins at 180-degree intervals. The 180-degree, flat-plane layout permits a cylinder firing order that alternates between cylinder banks, reducing the overlap of exhaust pressure pulses. When combined with cylinder head and valvetrain advancements, this permits better cylinder breathing, further extending the performance envelope of the V8.



The result is the most powerful naturally aspirated production Ford engine ever, at more than 500 horsepower, with a torque peak above 400 pound-feet. The track capability is enhanced by the output characteristics of the engine – the 5.2-liter V8 features an exceptionally broad torque curve. Combined with its high-revving ability, the flat-plane 5.2-liter V8 gives drivers an enormous amount of performance and flexibility within each gear of the lightweight six-speed manual transmission. A standard Ford-tuned Torsen limited-slip differential optimizes cornering grip and straight-line traction.



The new Mustang platform is the strongest in the history of the brand, with torsional stiffness increased 28 percent over the previous model. That stiff structure ensures the suspension geometry remains consistent, even under hard driving on back roads and tracks. Front stiffness is further improved on the GT350 with a cutting-edge injection-molded carbon fiber composite grille opening and optional lightweight tower-to-tower brace. The front track has been increased while spring rates and bushings have been recalibrated all around, with ride height reduced compared to Mustang GT.

Due to the significant speeds the car can develop, the GT350 features the most track-credible brake system ever offered on a Ford vehicle in terms of absolute stopping power, fade resistance and brake pedal feel. The brakes are two-piece cross-drilled iron discs mounted to aluminum hats. At the front are massive 394-millimeter rotors clamped by Brembo six-piston fixed calipers with integrated caliper bridges, while 380-millimeter rotors at the rear utilize four-piston calipers. GT350 makes use of extra-stiff 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels – 10.5 inches wide in front, 11.0 inches in the rear – shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires with GT350-specific sidewall construction, tread face and compound.



Ultra-quick responsiveness to changing conditions is provided by the first-ever Ford application of continuously controlled MagneRide dampers. The dampers are filled with a hydraulic fluid impregnated with iron particles. When an electric current is passed through the fluid, a near-instant adjustment of the suspension performance can be made. With wheel position sensors monitoring motion thousands of times per second combined with other vehicle data, changes can be made to each corner independently every 10 milliseconds for optimum handling performance. This is a system designed not just to make the car handle better but to instill greater confidence in even the best driver.



 “Everything we changed on GT350 is purely functional-driven design, with the goal of improving the overall performance of the car,” said Chris Svensson, Ford design director, The Americas. “We optimized the aero shape of the car, and then fine-tuned what was left to increase downforce and cooling airflow.” All bodywork from the windshield forward is unique to this high-performance model and up to two inches lower than a Mustang GT.



The new aluminum hood has been lowered and sloped, compared to the base Mustang, tightly wrapped around the engine for the smallest possible aerodynamic signature. Front and rear aero elements have been balanced to work together on the track. The fascia has been sculpted to provide the aggressive lower front splitter with maximum pressure and a ducted belly pan delivers significant downforce. The hood outlet acts as a heat extractor while also reducing underhood lift at high speed.



At the rear, much of the engineering was focused on creating an aggressive functional diffuser doing double duty to increase downforce and provide cooling air to an optional differential cooler. A subtle lip spoiler across the trailing edge of the deck lid increases downforce without adding excess drag.

The athletic stance of the all-new Mustang is further accentuated with re-contoured aluminum front fenders to accommodate the wider front track and wider wheel arches. Front fender vents work with vented inner fenders to draw out turbulent air in the wheel wells and smoothly direct it down the side of the car. The forward-angled grille is designed with individual openings to draw air through the radiator, high-pressure engine air intake, cooling ducts for the front brakes and, optional with the Track Pack, an engine oil cooler and a transmission cooler.



Like everything else about GT350, the interior has been optimized for driving, beginning with the specially designed Recaro sport seats with a unique cloth. Hundreds of hours and many prototypes went into a seat that is both comfortable in daily driving and capable on the track. A flat-bottom steering wheel makes it easier for the driver to get in and out, and is more ergonomic on the racetrack. Gauges are upgraded to reflect the enormous performance capability of the car. Chrome and bright finishes have been reduced or eliminated to prevent sun glare that may distract the driver.



The advanced technology inherent to Mustang has been deployed for duty in the Shelby GT350. An all-new integrated driver control system allows selection of five unique modes that tailor ABS, stability control, traction control, steering effort, throttle mapping, MagneRide tuning and exhaust settings, depending on driver preference, to achieve maximum performance.



For more information on the latest Mustangs, please visit

http://www.ford.com/cars/mustang/