The
first car was assembled behind screens at Boreham in the autumn of 1970, by
Mick Jones’ mechanics, with a hope of rallying to start in mid-1971. Bob Howe
started to plan the production car, surmising that it could take shape at AVO,
at rates of up to 500 a year. Left and right-hand-drive were both considered,
and maybe a choice of engine types — probably the BDA four or the fuel-injected
RS2600 V6 would have been chosen.
The
shape of the first car was to be changed for series production, and Ford’s
design studio at Ghia in Turin worked on a beautiful shape with a better
cockpit. It was going to be expensive. Bob Howe once told us that the UK price
would have been about $ 8,295.03. The gearbox — the ZF — was strong enough for
its job, but very expensive, but there was no other production gearbox that
could do the job.
GT70
Behind…
Such
a price was a huge stumbling block (in 1971 the Escort RS1600 sold for $
2,629.52, and Ford’s most expensive car, the Zodiac Executive, cost $ 3,454.05).
“Once we had established that level,” Howe reminded us, “the GT70 never really
stood a chance. That, and spending $ 2 million dollars of capital investment.”
Almost as soon as the first car took to the road, the engineers decided that
the Cologne V6 engine had to be discarded. From the day that a lighter
rally-tuned BDA was installed in its place, things began to look up. The
handling was improved, but Bill Meade remembers the chassis as still being too
flexible when the project was finally abandoned.
The
FIA regulations of the period meant that 500 GT70s would have to be built
before homologation was achieved, but for the time being six prototypes were
put in hand, and at least five of them were completed. There was never any
question of building production cars at Boreham.
Ford’s
long pay strike of 1971, which caused all promotional budgets to be cut back,
didn’t help, but there were always serious doubts about the car’s viability.
Although Walter Hayes was a great supporter of it, it was always a low-key
development job, both for Boreham and AVO.
“Almost
as soon as the first car took to the road, the engineers decided that the
cologne V6 engine had to be discarded”
Out
of fuel
Most
of the Ghia styling work on a new production shape was done in 1972 (the year
in which a BP-sponsored prototype rallied in France), but it all came to an end
early in 1973 when the first rumblings of a Middle East Energy Crisis were
heard. Once sidelined, prototypes were sent off to Ford South Africa, where
Bernie Marriner and Spen Stirling decided to use the cars in non-homologated
condition, but little came of this, even though Mick Jones — who was well-known
out there — was consulted.
Ford
largely avoided raiding the parts bin for the interior. Dash, console and door
panels are all unique.
Because
of the lack of homologation, European rally activity was spasmodic. Roger Clark
gave the GT70 its debut on the Ronde Cevenole rally in September 1971, but the
V6 engine failed, and there were more serious entries, in the French rally
championship, in 1971 and 1972. The French cars were sponsored by BP, with
preparation entrusted to Johnny Rule and Ken Wiltshire of Boreham. There was no
lasting success, and a BP-sponsored Escort RS1600 soon took its place.
“The
GT70 was always back of the queue when priorities were handed out at Boreham”
Under
developed
Most
people now seem to recall the GT70 as bit of an orphan at Boreham, always back
of the queue when priorities were handed out: it needed much more development.
Roger Clark always hated the handling (‘a camel’ is what he called it), but
everyone agrees that it handled best with a four-cylinder BDA, rather than with
the Cologne V6.
As
the Escort RS1600 went from success to success, the GT70 lost its way, and was
finally abandoned. Happily for Ford enthusiasts, at least two prototypes
survive. Ford has kept the car photographed here in its collection (a lot of
money was spent on restoration a few years ago), and at least one other car is
in private ownership. Forty years on, the GT70 is one of Boreham’s great
might-have-been.
There’s
no denying the GT70’s styling is striking, and unlike anything Boreham let
alone Ford of Europe had shown before.
