Ford Total Performance
By Martyn L. Schorr
Total Performance” became a Ford Motor Company buzzphrase in the early 1960s when company chairman Henry Ford II decided he needed to upgrade and enliven the staid image his company enjoyed among the general population, especially the emerging baby boomer generation.
He decided to do this by adding a high-performance element to the company’s offerings, withdrawing Ford from the restrictive Automobile Manufacturers Association’s agreement prohibiting factory racing programs. Almost immediately Fords of all kinds began logging victories nearly everywhere imaginable.
This book begins by tracing the earlier years of Ford in racing to provide background and heritage, then digs into the myriad programs initiated under the Total Performance banner—Indy, Le Mans, NASCAR, sports car racing, drag racing, off-roading in Baja, land speed record chasing at Bonneville, international rallying and more. Those stories are illustrated by many never-before-seen photographs as well as drawings from Ford designers that combine to give the reader a complete picture of this historic era.
For Ford fans, as well as anyone wishing to learn more about a landmark period in American racing history, this is a must-read book. It’s available for US$45 / £30 from enthusiast bookstores or direct from publisher Motorbooks at www.quartoknowa.com
