Len Bailey - Ford Racing

Ford Racing

With Ford taking a more pro active motor spot stance in 1963 he was moved back to England to a position of chief draftsman as part of the design team for Fords new GT40 sport car with Ford Advanced Vehicles Ltd FAV department in Slough. Lola had completed a Ford-powered, mid-engined sports car in 1963 this would form the basis for the Ford assault on winning Le-Mans, the new project was to be based at FAV . They would have responsible for the engineering of the chassis, body and construction of the cars. Eric Broadley was initially responsible for the overall design, but Len Bailey later took care of the chassis reengineering it from Aluminum to Steel for more durability in the 24 hour Race. Ford felt it was also necessary to cope with the added weight of the more powerful all aluminum, dry-sump Ford Fairlane . By 1966 he was based at Alan Mann Racing base in Byfleet Surry although still employed by Ford of Europe. Early in 1966 several chassis were shipped to United States to be fitted with the larger, more powerful engine in preparation for Fords third attempt at taking that elusive Le Mans win. These seven litre cars are we now referred to as Mark IIs No fewer than eight GT40 Mark IIs were race prepared for the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although entered by three different privateer teams All Factory Ferraris had retired by 17 hours of the race, as had nine of the Fords, but three held together long enough to score an historic photo staged 1–2-3 finish

For 1967 Ford USA decided to concentrate its resources on a second Le-Mans win they fielded the GT40 Mk IV, a newer car redesigned in the USA with a different chassis and a different body Bailey redesigned the two GT40s entered by John Wyer of JW Automotive for the manufacturer's championship These were lightweight variations of the GT40 slimmer windscreen and roof line, cut off tail, and lighter aluminum body panels. Entered as the Mirage M1 with Gulf Oil sponsorship. Ford left the Mirages and Privateer GT-40's to represent them in the intervening championship events at Monza, Spa, Targa Florio and Nurburgring.

In late 1966 he completed the design of The Honker II a 1967 Can Am car, built by Alan Mann Racing, and run by Holman Moody. (It was named after John Holman, who liked to use the air horns on the big-rig trucks he drove). Powered came from an injected 351 cubic inch engine for its First Race at Bridgehampton New York where it qualified 17th and finished 8th and a 377 cubic inch for Mosport Ontario where it qualifued 17th but didn't start painted metallic it never raced again.

For The 1968 the FIA redrew the rules for championship sports car racing. Engine capacity was limited to 3 litres for prototype Group 6 sports class, Bailey was charged by Ford Europe to create a car for this championship resulting in the Ford P68 of 1968 redesigned the P69 for 1969 built and run by Alan Mann Racing

While at Alan Mann Racing Bailey designed the bodies of a pair of gullwing cars, used in the Gerry Anderson in 1969 science fiction film Doppelgänger constructed of aluminum, the cars were assembled over a six-month period on modified Ford ZodiacMk4 platforms fitted with Ford Escort engines and gearboxes. Two cars were also used in the Gerry Anderson UFO (TV series)

During 1967-68 he did the suspension and brake work (developing rear disc brakes) on the new Ford Escort for rallying and racing, Alan Mann having a contact to run in the British Saloon Car Championship for Frank Gardner who won the championship in 1968 and 1969

At the end of 1969 Bailey penned the Alan Mann Open Sports Ford just before Mann wound up his operation in late 1969, this was raced unsuccessfully in two Can-Am races during 1969. Bailey then began a freelance career although Ford work was a large part of it.