Consider that the ZF was the transmission of the GT40, and the Mangusta.
It was state of the art at the time and is one of the Ford threads of influence through the fabric.
It makes sense that it was the transmission of choice in '69. For the period it was an exotic even if that term didn't exist yet.
As far as no onw knowing what a Pantera or a ZF is, the US authorized ZF rebuilder in Rockland doesn't even know what it is.
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