Not the Frankfurt show: Ford GT70

The story goes like this. Two gentlemen were returning home from the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally. They went by the names of Stuart Turner, Ford competitions director, and Roger Clark, a Ford works rally driver.

These two men of Speedy Things were discussing their failure at the rally, and decided what Ford really needed was a light, simple, mid-engined car with the ability to host a range of engines.

The spawn of this discussion is the cheery little yellow sportscar currently jostling for your attention above. It is the Ford GT70, and that very model is just one of six ever built. Ford drivers Hannu Mikkola and Timo Makinen put forward ideas for the interior, while one of the brains behind the GT40 helped design it.

Sadly, the arrival of the Escort and WRC rule changes made the GT70 redundant. It was put into a big box in 1973 and was only recently unpacked, undergoing a full restoration in 2002, complete with a 2.0-litre BDA engine and Hewland gearbox.

The reason for the pic? Ford is celebrating 100 years in Britain and is sifting through its picture archive. It's also nothing to do with the Frankfurt motor show. Click the link below for a bigger image.

This is a link to a bigger image of the Ford GT70