---
title: Roy Lunn · HICONIUM
description: Roy Lunn in the HICONIUM register — one file carrying their credit.
canonical_url: https://hiconium.dev/people/roy-lunn
image: https://hiconium.dev/og/people/roy-lunn.png
---

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> Path: [Home](https://hiconium.dev/) › [People](https://hiconium.dev/people) › Roy Lunn
> On this page: [Lola as development car](#lola-as-development-car) · [Project director, not race-team manager](#project-director-not-race-team-manager) · [American-built Mark IV](#american-built-mark-iv) · [One file carries this name](#one-file-carries-this-name)

People

# Roy Lunn

Ford GT project director; later Jeep technical director and AMC chief engineer

| Label | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Born | Richmond, England, 1925 |
| Died | Santa Barbara, California, 2017 |
| Nationality | British |

The record

British engineer who directed Ford’s GT project after the failed Ferrari acquisition talks and later held senior engineering roles at Jeep and American Motors Corporation.

Born in Richmond, England, on 26 June 1925, Lunn studied mechanical and aeronautical engineering at Kingston Technical College and served as an RAF pilot. After the war he worked on turbo-jet gas-generator development at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. He joined AC Cars in 1946, was Aston Martin’s assistant chief designer from 1947 to 1949, then worked at Jowett before joining Ford of England in 1953.

At Ford, Lunn set up Birmingham Research; its first project was the Anglia 105E. He moved to the United States in 1958, where he headed Advanced Vehicle work. His team produced the mid-engine Mustang I running prototype in 100 days in 1962. After the Ferrari acquisition talks collapsed in 1963, Henry Ford II gave Lunn management of the GT40 programme for Le Mans.

To accelerate the GT40 programme, Lunn used the Lola Mk6 GT as a development car; the first cars were fabricated at Slough under John Wyer. All three GT40s retired at Le Mans in 1964 and none remained after seven hours in 1965. Lunn remained director of the project while racing teams managed the track programmes. Ford’s Mk II won in 1966 with Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon; Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt won in 1967 in the Mk IV.

### Lola as development car

With time short, Lunn used the Lola Mk6 GT as a development car for the Ford GT40 programme. The first cars were fabricated at Slough under John Wyer.

### Project director, not race-team manager

After the 1964 and 1965 Le Mans failures, racing teams managed the cars at the circuit. Lunn remained director of the project for the Mk II and Mk IV programmes.

### American-built Mark IV

Autoweek reported that Lunn was especially proud of the 1967-winning Mark IV as the first GT40 designed, engineered, powered, developed and built in the United States.

The stations

1. 1946–1947 AC Cars Engineer
2. 1947–1949 Aston Martin Assistant chief designer
3. 1949–1953 Jowett Cars Chief designer and engineer
4. 1953–1958 Ford of England Engineer and product-planning manager
5. 1958–1969 Ford Motor Company Head, Advanced Vehicle Department and Advanced Concepts Group; GT project director
6. 1969–1971 Kar-Kraft Vice president of engineering
7. 1971–1985 American Motors Corporation Technical director of engineering for Jeep; later chief engineer
8. 1985–1987 AM General Vice president of engineering

The house

[![Ford](https://hiconium.dev/images/marques/full/ford.svg)](https://hiconium.dev/manufacturers/ford)

Credited through Ford Motor Company.

In the register

## One file carries this name

- [Ford GT40 Chief engineer · Ford Motor Company 1964–1969 €5.5M 1964–1969 €5.5M Rating 97.0](https://hiconium.dev/vehicles/ford/gt40)

The files above are the register's own record of this name. [The people index](https://hiconium.dev/people) holds everyone the register credits.

Sources

- [autoweek.com](https://www.autoweek.com/news/people/a1828361/godfather-ford-gt40-roy-lunn-1925-2017/)
- [motorcities.org](https://www.motorcities.org/story-of-the-week/2021/remembering-the-great-auto-engineer-roy-lunn)
- [me.ucsb.edu](https://me.ucsb.edu/news/roy-lunn-godfather-ford-gt40-and-mentor-me-undergrads-passes-away)
- [journal.classiccars.com](https://journal.classiccars.com/2017/10/16/sequential-genius-roy-lunn/)
- [hemmings.com](https://www.hemmings.com/stories/roy-lunn/)
- [oldcarsweekly.com](https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/roy-lunn-inducted-into-automotive-hall-of-fame)
- [24h-lemans.com](https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/roy-lunn-godfather-of-ford-gt40-winner-at-le-mans-inducted-into-automotive-hall-of-fame-42709)
- [24h-lemans.com](https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/24-hours-of-le-mans-1966-chris-amon-ford-looks-back-at-his-win-1-2-40897)
- [24h-lemans.com](https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/dan-gurney-and-aj-foyt-the-marathon-men-of-1967-10009)
- [mshf.com](https://www.mshf.com/Roy-Lunn-10-1607876.html)
- [motorsportmagazine.com](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/april-1989/42/a-late-developer/)
- [theautochannel.com](https://www.theautochannel.com/publications/magazines/sci/dec-jan-97/pg70.frame)