Original Ford GT40 refined by Graber in Switzerland
Few people are still aware that the Graber body shop in Wichtrach was commissioned by the Ford Motor Company and Performances Cars to specially rework the road version of the Ford GT 40 to make it even more suitable for road use.
Automobil-Revue 38/1966 of September 1, 1966 reported on this type of "Street Performance Car" on the occasion of the test of the road version:
"The neatly executed street luxury version comes from the Graber body shop in Wichtrach and was specially reworked by the latter on behalf of the Ford Motor Company and Performances Cars. With a sales price of Fr. 110,000, which is truly in the top echelons of automobile construction, this luxury version is probably intended primarily for enthusiasts from American sporting circles.
The biggest and by far the most expensive change is the side crank windows, which give the car a new look. The Plexi windows of the standard version, which were permanently attached to the doors, were replaced by curved, retractable Securit windows. The body line and flow technology of the Gran Turismo presented the Swiss specialist with a number of challenges. The doors are low and by no means ideal for stowing crank windows. It goes without saying that the radio, which was installed in the right-hand door recess in the original version, had to be relocated to the underside of the dashboard. The new door panels and the entire interior, including the individual seats with improved comfort, are made of genuine leather. The instrument and switch arrangement on the dashboard has only undergone minor retouches, while the safety upholstery on the upper edge has been reinforced.
Special treatment allowed the porous plastic shell to be largely leveled out, resulting in an increased shine in the paint layer.
Side windows, windscreen and rear window were given chrome surrounds. At the rear, the air vents arranged on the top were made more attractive by longitudinal chrome rails and new cooling air grilles were inserted to the left and right of the body cut-outs required for the exhaust pipes.
The front end of this luxury version has a number of differences compared to the standard version. The air intake slits for ventilation and fresh air, which in the standard version are only protected by a fine-mesh grille on the end, have flat grille bars. The plastic covers of the small and large light units are also edged with chrome rings. Additional front chrome bars provide decoration and increased impact resistance. In addition to all of the above, the attractive Graber version also features chrome-plated rims, more elegant fuel filler caps and many other details.
Two important features deserve special mention: the air conditioning system, which was standard equipment but not yet fitted in the demonstration prototype, and the two luggage compartments located under the rear hood. Even if there is no room for suitcases in the square, high containers, the sheet metal suitcases with heat-insulating material on the outside can still hold small travel items.
As with the Street version, the front and rear hoods can be folded up as complete units using hinges and can also be separated from the car in a few simple steps. In the luxury version, the undersides of both hoods are completely sprayed with heat and sound insulating material .
If there is sufficient demand, production in small series and thus a small price reduction is probably not out of the question."
We do not know whether this "prototype" and possibly other vehicles have survived. However, if anyone ever discovers a Ford GT 40 with crank windows, this could be one of the models refined by Graber.
