Ford GT40 Rear Detail 0402-5234

A close studio detail of a pale blue Ford GT40's tail, the mesh-covered engine bay, twin exhaust pipes and round tail lamps picked out against a black background.

What Is in This Photograph?

A low three-quarter rear crop, lit from above so the bodywork holds a soft highlight and everything behind it falls to black. The car is light blue with twin cream stripes running over the tail, the paint visibly worn along the panel edges. The rear body panel is cut away into two large wire-mesh grilles for engine heat, with a plain black aperture between them through which two large-bore exhaust pipes emerge, cut square and stub-short. A wide flat spoiler is bolted across the top of the tail on visible brackets and fasteners. Four round red lamps sit in the corners, two each side. Below the bodywork the bare rear subframe is exposed in blue-painted tube with red anodised fittings and a yellow-collared connector. At the right the rear tyre fills the frame, a Goodyear Eagle on a dark multi-spoke alloy with a centre-lock nut, its arch cut close around the tread.

What Is a GT40?

The Ford-funded mid-engined sports prototype built to beat Ferrari at Le Mans, named for its roof height of forty inches (Hagerty). Cars were built as Mk I and later Mk II specifications, with chassis flown from Ford Advanced Vehicles at Slough in England to Shelby American in California to be prepared as team cars (Automotive American, Supercar Nostalgia). The type won Le Mans outright four years running from 1966, and chassis P/1075 took the last two of those wins (Supercar Nostalgia).

Why Photograph the Tail Rather Than the Car?

Because the tail is where a racing car stops pretending. The mesh, the square-cut pipes, the bolted-on spoiler and the exposed subframe are all engineering decisions made for cooling, weight and access, not for appearance, and a crop this tight lets the worn paint and the fastener heads carry the story. Against black, the pale blue body becomes a single sculptural shape.

Who Is This Print For?

This GT40 print suits Le Mans and endurance racing collectors, people who prefer a detail study to a full car, and dark modern interiors, studies and offices where a low-key image with one strong colour works better than a bright location shot. The near-black background makes it a natural fit for metal or framed print with a dark mount. Choose framed print, stretched canvas, ChromaLuxe metal or Gicl\u00e9e.

Photograph Details

• Subject: Ford GT40, rear detail, pale blue with cream stripes
• Visible: Mesh engine-bay grilles, twin stub exhausts, bolted rear spoiler, exposed rear subframe, centre-lock alloy wheel
• Treatment: Studio, black background, raking top light
• Archive reference: 0402-5234

This archival photograph is made available through Fordimages.com, the official Ford archive imagery licensee operated by Richard Weedn LLC. Each image is digitally restored before printing and handcrafted to order.

Available as:

• Framed Print — museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, hanging hardware included
• Stretched Canvas — hand-stretched over 1.25-inch pine bars, heavy cotton poly matte finish
• ChromaLuxe Metal Print — image infused directly onto sheets of alloy metal for maximum vibrancy and durability
• Giclée Art Print — 260gsm satin finish paper, finest archival inks, white border

Made in the USA or Europe depending on your location.

About the Artwork

Artwork in this collection comes from the Ford Motor Company Archives, The Henry Ford Museum, the Carroll Shelby Archives, and the collections of acclaimed photographers and painters from around the world. Reproduction rights are reserved by the respective copyright owners.

Our framed prints feature a black, hand-stained solid wood frame with a white mat, museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, and hanging hardware. The frame features a slim 0.8-inch face and projects 1.3 inches from the wall, creating a clean, contemporary shadow-box effect. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our stretched canvas prints are produced on acid-free, pH-neutral, and fade-resistant canvas. Each canvas is hand-glued to solid wood stretcher bars and stretched over 1.25-inch-thick pine bars. Mounting brackets are included. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our Giclée prints are produced using premium 200gsm semi-gloss paper and high-quality archival inks. Each print includes a white border around the perimeter.

For the 40 x 60 size, we use 250gsm museum-quality archival paper with an off-white, uncoated finish.

The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within the selected paper size. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

ChromaLuxe prints use a state-of-the-art coating process that infuses the image directly onto sheets of alloy metal. The result is photography with an exceptional combination of vibrancy, clarity, and durability.

Each print arrives ready to hang. An alloy subframe on the back allows the artwork to float away from the wall for a sleek, modern appearance. This is the finest-quality print we offer. Made in the USA.

All images are digitally restored before printing. Production location varies by product and destination. Shipping is calculated at checkout.