TBT: 1983 Mustang GTP Race Car Highlights Ford Teams’ Collaboration

Aug 17, 2023
<2 MIN READ
1983 Mustang GTP Race Car Highlights Ford Teams’ Collaboration Click to Enlarge

The Mustang GTP was the product of collaboration across many varied teams at Ford. It came at a time when Ford was beginning to lean into aerodynamics and turbocharging, going against the grain in the racing series it competed in.

Collaboration is a big part of the Ford OS behaviors, and one great example of this from the company's past is the introduction of an all-new Mustang GTP race car to the IMSA circuit in 1983.

The project was overseen by Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations but contributions to its development came from several teams. The “tub” of the car was designed digitally and built by Ford Aerospace, the company’s former aerospace subsidiary, and its windshield was designed by Ford Glass, which was then North America’s second-largest glass producer. Ford designers refined the aerodynamics using wind tunnel testing based on learnings from Probe IV, a concept car which was part of a series of design exercises on aerodynamic styling which led to vehicles like the Thunderbird, Taurus and Probe. Wind tunnel testing also contributed to the Mustang GTP’s windshield design and flush mounting.

Also, Ford’s Electrical and Electronics team contributed an electronic engine control system to maximize the impact of the turbocharger in the car’s unique, front-mounted and intercooled 1.7-liter, four-cylinder engine. The part was considered to be the world’s most advanced onboard computer. The engine was much smaller than the those used by the rest of the field, but it still produced an estimated top speed of 210 mph. 

This cutaway shows the interworkings of the Mustang GTP, including its unique, front-mounted and intercooled 1.7-liter, four-cylinder engine and carbon fiber body. Click to Enlarge

This cutaway shows the interworkings of the Mustang GTP, including its unique, front-mounted and intercooled 1.7-liter, four-cylinder engine and carbon fiber body.

Ford also collaborated externally with other companies such as Goodyear and DuPont to use materials that kept the Mustang GTP lightweight but also maintained structural strength for safety. The car’s tub and body were made of carbon fiber, similar to today’s race cars. The car’s tub was made of 13 panels, which were baked together using processing ovens at Ford Aerospace.

Company leaders also noted at the Mustang’s June 1983 unveiling at Ford’s Automotive Safety Center in Dearborn that the car would benefit Ford’s development of comfortable and safe driving environments for customers. 

The Mustang GTP, seen here running on Ford’s Dearborn test track in 1980, made its debut in 1983, winning a 500-mile race at Road America in Wisconsin. A second Mustang GTP placed third. Click to Enlarge

The Mustang GTP, seen here running on Ford’s Dearborn test track in 1980, made its debut in 1983, winning a 500-mile race at Road America in Wisconsin. A second Mustang GTP placed third.

The Mustang GTP came at a time when Ford was expanding its adoption of turbocharging technology, as eight of the company’s 1984 models were available with turbocharged engine options – the most such models in the industry. The car also represented an entry from an American-based automaker in a series dominated by imports.

The Mustang GTP finished first and third in its IMSA debut in a 500-mile race at Road America in Wisconsin, but it was replaced by the mid-engined Mustang Probe.

For more innovative thinking like this, visit the Ford Heritage Vault, which was recently updated to include hundreds of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury production concept vehicles. Click here to see more.