Every red-blooded American knows the story of the famous GT-40’s, and how Ford, slighted by Ferrari, went on to dominate the world racing circuit with its purpose-built race cars. They were low-slung, powerful Ferrari-killers that dominated the European car manufacturers, and as it turns out, Ford even had a Euro-only version of their Ferrari fighter planned. Only it never came to be.

The car was the GT70, and Jalopnik uncovered the hidden history of this would-be rally racer. And before you ask, no, it wasn’t 70 inches tall.

Jalopnik thinks the “GT70” moniker came from the year this car was conceived and likely built. But outside factors, like the global gas crisis, worker strikes, and so on conspired to kill the GT70 before it ever rolled off the production line. Ford currently owns the only operating one of these in existence. And boy, what a car.

The body was constructed from fiberglass, so as to keep weight down, and mounted in a mid-engine setup was the 2.6 liter V6 from Ford’s European parts bin. This engine was eventually replaced by the Cosworth BDA four-cylinder engine series, backed by a ZF transmission. Eventually though, Ford decided to ditch the GT70 project and instead back the Ford Escort, which would prove a powerful opponent in rallying. Yet we can’t help but wonder how history might have changed, had Ford gone with the GT70 instead. Could it have been the GT40 of rally racing, or just another dud waiting to (not) go off?