Grand tourer: Difference between revisions

==== Cobra Ferrari Warswars ====

The period 1963–1965 is famous for the "Cobra Ferrari Warswars",<ref name=":17">{{cite web|url= http://www.thecobraferrariwars.com/ |title=The Cobra Ferrari Wars 1963–1965 |website=thecobraferrariwars.com |access-date=2017-03-28}}</ref> a rivalry between American former-racing driver and Le Mans winner [[Carroll Shelby]] ([[1959 24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans 1959]], [[Aston Martin DBR1|Aston Martin DBR1/300]]),<ref name=":14" /> and Enzo Ferrari, whose 250 GTs were the dominant grand touring cars of the time. Shelby retired from driving due to a heart condition,<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":18">{{cite web|url= http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/sports-cars/appreciating-carroll-shelby |title=Appreciating Carroll Shelby |date=2012-05-14 |work=Motor Sport Magazine |access-date=2017-04-19|language=en}}</ref> returning to California from Europe in 1959 with the idea to marry the [[AC Ace]] sports car chassis with [[Ford Windsor engine|Ford's V-8 small-block]] engine: the resulting [[AC Cobra|Shelby AC Cobra]] was a sales success.<ref name=":18" /> Like Enzo, Shelby sold road cars to support his racing team, and like Ferrari the Cobra was a success on the track, at least on the short circuits common in the United States.<ref name=":18" /> On the longer tracks prevalent in Europe however, the Cobra's crude aerodynamics couldn'tcould not compete with the sleek 180 [[Miles per hour|mph]] Ferrari 250 GTOs: even fitted with a removable roof the Cobra's top speed was 150&nbsp;mph.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.supercars.net/blog/1962%E2%86%921963-ferrari-250-gto-2/ |title=1962→1963 Ferrari 250 GTO |date=2016-04-24 |website=supercars.net |access-date=2017-03-28|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":14" /> At the [[1963 24 Hours of Le Mans]], a Cobra placed 7thseventh; Ferraris placed 1stfirst to 6thsixth.<ref name=":13">{{cite web|url= http://jalopnik.com/281644/shelby-cobra-daytona-coupe |title=Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe |last=Lieberman |first=Jonny |work=Jalopnik |date=24 July 2007 |access-date=2017-03-28|language=en-US}}</ref> Shelby team engineer [[Pete Brock]]<ref name=":14" /> hand-designed a [[Wunibald Kamm|Kamm]]-backed aerodynamic body for the Cobra, creating the [[Shelby Daytona|Shelby Daytona Coupecoupe]], and a showdown with Ferrari was set.<ref name=":13" /><ref>{{cite web|url= http://jalopnik.com/284200/ferrari-250-gto |title=Ferrari 250 GTO |last=Lieberman |first=Jonny |work=Jalopnik |date=31 July 2007 |access-date=2017-03-28|language=en-US}}</ref>

In testing, the Shelby Daytona Coupecoupe attained a top speed of 196&nbsp;mph,<ref name=":14" /> and went on to win the GT class at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1964-06-22.html |title=Le Mans 24 Hours 1964 - Race Results |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref> Shelby had beaten Ferrari on the biggest stage; however, the fast and reliable Ferrari 250 GTOs were again victorious in the [[1964 World Sportscar Championship|1964 International Championship for GT Manufacturers]]. The Championshipchampionship was controversial: Enzo Ferrari, with only a narrow points lead over Shelby, attempted to have the radical new [[Mid-engine design|mid-engined]] [[Ferrari P|Ferrari LM250]] [[Homologation|homologated]] for the final championship round at Monza in Italy. When the FIA turned Ferrari down, Ferrari withdrew. The race organizers Auto Club d'Italia, fearing a financial disaster from the withdrawal of the famous Italian team, canceled the event, and Ferrari was crowned Worldworld Championchampion. In the aftermath, Ferrari declared he would never race GTs again, and for 1965 the [[1966 24 Hours of Le Mans|rivalry with Ferrari]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/a32330/film-review-adam-carollas-the-24-hour-war/ |title=Adam Carolla's 'The 24 Hour War' Is a Car Movie by Car People That Isn't Just for Car People |date=18 January 2017 |first=Sam |last=Smith |work=Road and Track |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref> was taken up by [[Ford Motor Company]] and the [[Ford GT40]], also mid-engined, in the sports car divisions.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-car-that-lived-up-to-its-legend |title=The Car That Lived Up To Its Legend |page=1 |date=July 2001 |first=Peter |last=Brock |work=Car and Driver |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a26376/coupe-de-grace-shelby-daytona-coupe-story/ |title=The Unlikely Story of the Ferrari-Beating Shelby Daytona Coupe |first=Sam |last=Smith |date=14 August 2015 |work=Road and Track |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref>

In 1965, with Shelby's race team now dedicated to the GT40, the Daytona Coupescoupes were entrusted to [[Alan Mann Racing]] in the United Kingdom, and easily won the [[1965 World Sportscar Championship|GT world championship]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-car-that-lived-up-to-its-legend-enzo-pulling-a-fast-one-page-4 |title=The Car That Lived Up To Its Legend |page=4 |date=July 2001 |first=Peter |last=Brock |work=Car and Driver |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref> From 1966 the FIA would returnreturned its [[1966 World Sportscar Championship|world championship]] focus to the sports car division, however GT entries would remainremained an important feature of international sports car racing in the future.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.redbull.com/en/motorsports/stories/1331842830468/gt-racing-101-a-guide-for-the-perplexed |title=This is what GT Racing is all about |last=Roberts |first=James |website=redbull.com |date=2 February 2017 |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref>

File:2009-08-07 1191 Oldtimer-GP - AC Shelby Cobra, Bj. 1964.JPG|[[Shelby AC Cobra]] Hardtophardtop 1964

File:Carroll Shelby Museum. Las Vegas. (31378809241).jpg|[[Shelby Daytona]] Coupecoupe 1964