Alan Mann Racing

The Alan Mann Lightweight story sits at the very heart of Ford’s GT40 success. At a critical point in the programme, Alan Mann Racing set the engineering standard, proving that advanced lightweight construction and intelligent chassis development could underpin a factory-backed assault on Le Mans.

The Alan Mann Lightweights and the 1966 Ford GT40 MkII Factory Lightweights were fundamentally different cars. The original Alan Mann Lightweights were conceived first, as highly advanced small-block GT40s, built around thin-gauge aluminium bodywork with extensive suspension and chassis re-engineering. They were not factory MkIIs, but a parallel engineering direction as Ford tasked Shelby American, Holman-Moody and Alan Mann Racing to work on cars for the 1966 season.

As Ford’s Le Mans ambitions intensified, the programme pivoted decisively from the MkI to the all-new MkII, with the Alan Mann Lightweights sitting directly in between. Five Alan Mann Racing lightweight aluminium chassis were commissioned, two completed as AMGT-1 and AMGT-2 and raced earlier in 1966 at Sebring. The remaining three were never completed in period but became the foundation for the next phase of development; the Factory Lightweights.

When the decision was taken to contest Le Mans 1966 with the 7.0-litre MkII, Alan Mann Racing adapted those remaining lightweight structures to meet Ford’s new specification. Retaining the Lightweight philosophy, the team fundamentally re-engineered the chassis to accept the larger drivetrain, transmission and rear-end layout. These cars did not begin life as standard MkIIs; they evolved into them. Built by Alan Mann Racing personnel within Shelby American’s Los Angeles facility, the resulting XGT-1, XGT-2 and XGT-3 formed part of Ford’s factory effort. XGT-1 and XGT-2 were raced by Alan Mann Racing at Le Mans in 1966, while XGT-3 did not compete.

The recent sale of XGT-3 for $12,375,000, making it the second most expensive Ford ever sold at auction, has brought renewed focus to the Alan Mann Racing Lightweights—an under-recognised programme whose engineering influence helped shape Ford’s ultimate GT40 success.

It was announced last week that the three iconic Ford GT MkIIs that locked out the podium at the 1966 edition of the 24 Hours of LeMans will reunite at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival to celebrate 60 years since Ford’s legendary triumph over Ferrari.

Let's look back at the Alan Mann Trophy, a race for Ford GT40s (in Mk1 spec) of a type that raced between 1964 and 1966, from Goodwood 74th Members' Meeting in 2016.

Featuring a 27-strong grid, the 60-minute two-driver race was won by Steve Soper and David Cuff.

Alan Mann Trophy Full Race | 74MM The 74th Members' Meeting saw the return of Ford GT40s to Goodwood, as they battled it out in a ferocious contest at sunset that saw its fair share of flames!