The Ford GT40’s Coming from Africa
These replicas may just be better than the real deal.
The Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic cars ever produced. Designed and built by Ford, the GT40 had one goal: destroy Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A business deal gone awry between Ford and Ferrari left Henry Ford II fuming. Knowing that racing was the key to Enzo Ferrari, Ford told his racing division to build a Ferrari beater.
The team at CAV has been creating some of the best-looking and performing Ford GT40 replicas since 1999. CAV stands for Cape Advanced Vehicles, and they’re a small but passionate company based in South Africa. Arguably one of the world’s most iconic cars, the name CAV pays homage to a department founded by Henry Ford II: FAV (Ford Advanced Vehicles).
CAV is one of five companies in the world that currently produce (licensed) GT40 replicas. In addition, they are considered the most comfortable, user-friendly, and unique. According to CNN Money, only eight people handle the entire vehicle production, though they’re currently expanding to meet demand. Producing bespoke replicas of the 24 Hours of Le Mans racer is a lengthy process, and therefore average production is around 15 vehicles per year.
Ford’s launch of the all-new 2017 Ford GT supercar has put the legendary nameplate on the radar again. Furthermore, with a $400,000 starting price for the new model, customers may easily flock to CAV’s $100,000 to $130,000 historic replica. A replica that features a 5.7-liter, Ford Racing V8 engine with 450 horsepower, I may add.
South Africa isn’t foreign to vehicle manufacturing, with Ford, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, GM and others having plants in the area. Obviously, none of them produce vehicles with such attention to detail like, but mass produce instead.
If you want to keep this iconic American beauty roaring down the open road, check out their site, and get your Ford truck a stablemate!
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