America's Greatest Living Car Designer

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Ford built a limited number of GTs, and I think that’s a smart way to increase the value of the car over the years.

In my opinion the Ford GT is the best sports car that’s ever been built. The Corvette has been a wonderful, wonderful sports car. I really wish Zora Arkus-Duntov [the Corvette’s early engineer] was still alive to see what’s happened, what they’re building now. But ultimately I think that the Ford GT will go down in history because there are only so many of them, and it’s a very unique automobile.

What do you think is unique about the relationship Americans have to their automobiles?

I think that it’s the first thing that a young boy or girl wants. The first thing that they want to buy is an automobile; they want to be mobile.

I go up the 405 every day. It’s absolutely amazing how many pickup trucks are jacked up two feet high, with 25-inch wheels that will never ever go off-road. But that guy is very, very proud of the fact that he drives that thing up and down the freeway on the way to work every day. He is making his statement: "This is what I want, this is what I work for." He expresses himself through his automobile and that’s all over America.

What do you think was the influence of your Texas upbringing on the way you’ve raced, the way you’ve made your cars?

I loved cars all my life. I had a little 1938 Willis that wouldn’t outrun anything when I was a kid. But I used to try like hell. I always wanted to build my own car and I saw in 1960 that I had to move to California where the hot-rodders were.

When we built these cars years ago—the Mustangs and the Cobras—we had hot-rodders from Japan, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, England, even a couple from Poland. I guess I feel that Texas just wasn’t big enough for me at that time.

What gets you worked up creatively?

I’m 83. And, if I live to be 183, I wouldn’t be able to put out all of the ideas that I have. I just wouldn’t be able to build all those vehicles. Every morning I wake up with new ideas. Unfortunately not a lot of them will ever get done. But I never get tired of dreaming up exactly what the automobile should be.

You got your start in white-knuckle racing. What qualities do you most admire in other race-car drivers?

When I started driving race cars there was no future in it and you did it because of the passion. Race-car drivers have to focus on so many different things. It takes an unusual person to do that—both being able to focus for long periods of time and being able to endure constant hardships like heat. You have to be able to keep your mind focused for three or four hours, otherwise you’re probably going to die.

Finally, over the course of your long career, who has been your greatest influence?

The biggest influence on me? Well, me.

Vella is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in New York.