CarTech® - Kar Kraft: Race Cars, Prototypes and Muscle Cars of Ford's Specialty Vehicle Program

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 CarTech that Ford won Le Mans, the Daytona 500, and the Trans-Am championship. But it doesn't tell CarTech 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.

Table of contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1:

• Prelude to Kar-Kraft: A Little Concept Car
• The Concept
• Mustang Takes a Bow
• What's in a Name?

Chapter 2:

• Ford Meets Ferrari: Shopping for a Race Winner
• An Invitation to Dance
• Establishing Ford's Racing Objectives
• Why Go Racing?

Chapter 3:

• Preparing for Le Mans: The GT 40
• The Beginning of Ford Advanced Vehicles
• The Cast of Characters
• The GT 40s in America

Chapter 4:

• The Creation of Kar-Kraft: From Slough to Dearborn
• Opening the Door
• Kar-Kraft Facilities
• Kar-Kraft "Pit Crew"

Chapter 5:

• Going for the Win: The Mk II and Mk IV
• Back in the States: The Mk II
• Le Mans 1966
• Designing the J Car
• Mk IV FIA Sports Prototype
• Sebring 1967
• Le Mans 1967

Chapter 6:

• Boss 302: How to Win in Trans-Am
• 1969 Boss 302 Mustang Production Prototype
• Building the 1969 Boss 302 Race Cars
• Moonlighters and the Chassis Manual

Chapter 7:

• Boss 429: Just Crazy and Hairy
• Knudsen's Vision
• The Boss Lands in Kar-Kraft's Lap
• Fat Cats: The Boss 429 Cougars

Chapter 8:

• Other Race Cars: It Wasn't All GT 40s
• X-1 Experimental Modified Sports
• Can-Am G7-A
• Torino Talladega/Cyclone Spoiler II
• The Car and Driver Boss
• Mirage Racers

Chapter 9:

• Prototypes and Experiments: Fun in the Shop
• Mach II Experimental Sports Cars
• Low Investment Driveline Mustang
• Boss 429 Maverick
• King Cobra
• Boss 351 Mustang
• Super Mach 1
• Composite Mustangs
• Boss 302 Maverick
• Ferguson Four-Wheel Drive Special Bronco
• Dune Buggy
• Rumble Seat Cougar
• Boss 429 Fairlane
• 429 CJ Boss 302
• Conclusion

Chapter 10:

• Special Vehicles and Projects: More Than Just Race Cars
• The Australian Falcons
• Bunkie Knudsen's Torino Talladega
• Knutsen's Runaway Boss 429
• Edsel Ford's Boss 302/351 Mustang
• 1972 Lincoln Armored Presidential Limousine
• Techna Concept
• Fixed-Seat Moveable Pedal Package
• 1970 Shelby Mustangs

Chapter 11:

• The Checkered Flag: All Good Things Must End
• Cancellation FactorsFinancial Arrangements
• Vehicles on the Register
• The Audits
• The Final Word

Epilogue

• The New Kar-Kraft and Continuation Mk IVs
• A Final Note

Index

Charlie Henry
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.