The inspiration behind the Mk IV was the Ford GT40 Mark IV, a car with a fascinating history! It was essentially the culmination of Henry Ford's determined effort to defeat Enzo Ferrari on the race track after a failed bid to acquire Ferrari's company. The 427-powered Ford GT40 Mark IIs were wildly successful, and pulled off a 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. However, the Mark II was a heavy car and Ferrari was pulling out all the stops for 1967 in an effort to reclaim it's racing crown. By way of the J-Car program, the Ford team developed a lightweight aluminum chassis that became the basis of the new Mark IV cars.