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Revealing the beauty of an iconic design

It takes a particular kind of beast to win Le Mans, precisely designed, savagely fast and able to withstand the onslaught of a full day of competitive racing. The cars that emerge the victor from Le Mans rightly assert themselves as some of the sport’s most iconic cars.

In the plain body series, INK has paid tribute to these legends of Le Mans. The first installment showcased a volatile virtuoso: the Porsche 917 and in 2015, the elegant but entirely dominant, Jaguar D-type.

This year, after Ford’s historic return to the race there could be no greater subject for the third installment than Le Mans’ most iconic car: the GT40. Born as a product of Henry Ford and Enzo Ferrari’s bitter rivalry, the GT40 was an act of revenge. The infamous 1-2-3 victory in 1966 is one of Le Mans’ golden moments and provided the humiliating Ferrari defeat Ford had sought. The subsequent dominance of Ford in successive wins in ‘67, ‘68 and ‘69 make the GT40 one of the world’s most recognisable and beloved cars.

But how to best showcase a legend? Especially one which has been photographed and scrutinised ever since its world-beating 1966 win. INK wanted to provide an unparalleled up close and personal viewpoint like no other. Completely digitally created, the images reveal the GT40 in all its purity without the visual noise of the livery or track. With a completely white chassis on an ethereal white backdrop, it was important not to overcomplicate the brutal yet beautiful design. By removing all these distractions, INK shows a unique perspective and an appropriate celebration an icon which helped to mould modern racing, the legend: the GT40.

Prints of INK’s first installment in the plain body series, the Porsche 917, are now also available for sale on Petrolicious.