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Dearly Departed Designer
Roy Lunn, designer of the Ford GT40, passes away at 92

Roy Lunn, the genius engineer behind one of the world’s most famous sports racers, the Ford GT40, passed away earlier this week at 92 years of age.

To say Lunn had a good go at life would be an understatement. A former air force pilot, Lunn is essentially responsible for bringing an end to Ferrari’s dominance of not just Le Mans, but endurance racing on a global scale, thanks to his work creating the incredible GT40. The V8-powered machine went on to win Le Mans four times, as well as a long list of international championship titles at the hands of some of the greatest driving stars to have ever lived; Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Dan Gurney, A.J. Foyt, Jacky Ickx and many more.

Roy Lunn is also credited as the father of the modern SUV, as after leaving Ford and heading to American Motors he created the first unibody Jeep Cherokee, kicking off a manufacturing trend that is still going on today, stronger than ever.

Rest in peace Roy!

 

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