Original Ford GT40 press car for sale
The word 'legendary' is overused. But it doesn't come close to doing this GT40 justice
It’s getting harder and harder to tell the imitators apart from the genuine articles. Not that long ago, a ‘replica’ would mean a Ford Sierra chassis and running gear, poorly moulded fibreglass bodywork and (to get really pedantic) a non-period-correct livery. The sacrilege! But replicas, recreations, or whatever you want to call them, have come a long way in recent years. To the point where wealthy car collectors would rather enter a near-perfect copy into a historic race than risk damaging the real thing.
On the positive side, it means we get to see incredible cars, perhaps from before our time, being treated as though they were fresh out of the factory that week. And replicas are so convincing these days that seeing, say, an old GT40 that for all intents and purposes looks like the real deal will likely elicit the same hair-raising response as if you’d seen an original example. That said, a replica will never have that awe-inspiring ‘history’ factor that conjures up images of oiled-faced mechanics beating body panels into place with hammers. So while you can get yourself a GT40 that’ll feel every bit as good (if not better) than the original for a fraction of the cost, nothing beats the real thing – and that’s exactly what we have here.
Frankly, any original GT40 is flying way up in the stratosphere of coolness. Rough estimates put the production run at 105 examples, but that’s split across multiple generations (Mk1 to Mk4), each of which was markedly different from the other. And given that the car was born to compete, most that left the factory floor were swiftly sent off to motorsport squads across the globe and converted for race use. A GT40 is a very rare thing, a road-going example is considerably rarer.
This is one of the few cars that were built from the get-go as a road-going model. No, it’s not one of the ultra-rare (even by GT40 standards) Mk3 versions - a trio of prototypes built to see how well the racer would work as a road car - it’s even rarer than that. Chassis P/1069, a Mk1 GT40, was built to order by Ford USA and swiftly loaned out to a Swiss-based firm affiliated with the Scuderia Filipinetti racing team for display at the 1967 Genera Motor Show. It was originally painted Opalescent Silver Blue, though was resprayed Metallic Borneo Green for its Geneva appearance, after which it was claimed by Ford UK and used as a press car for lucky hacks of the era to get their grubby hands on.
Still wearing its green paintwork (not that you’d be able to tell from the black and white pictures of the day), the car featured in various motoring magazines and, in 1969, was put on display once again at the Geneva Motor Show. It would get a good thrashing at the hands of double Formula 1 world champion Graham Hill ahead of its sale to a private collector in 1971, where it was again resprayed in yellow. Fast forward to 2007 when a brave new owner took the car historic racing (before the replicas took over), including an appearance at that year’s Goodwood Revival. At some point, the ‘40 was put back to road car specification and resprayed once again, only this time to its original colour.
That’s merely scratching the surface of an exceptionally storied example of a motoring legend. Worth keeping that in mind when giving the seller a call to ask about the price, and best to set aside several million quid (if not tens) to be in with a shout of buying it. If you do happen to become the car’s new owner, do us all a favour and take it out of the garage once in a while. This was the ‘people’s GT40’, after all.
I’d not realised they were quite so valuable, but deservedly so.
I recall them making a quip in the Le Mans 66 film along the lines that Ferrari would have won if the race were based on looks…
Er, it was built as a race car and I seek to recall it did that well, not just in ‘that’ Le Man’s 1-2-3 finish.
If the worst thing that can be said by some is that it isn’t a supermodel compared to its peers from Ferrari etc, I think the design team for the GT40 would take that.
I’m guessing it will take a €millions BIG win to own this, and believe me, if I win I’d be in the running.
Getting into it might be more problematic though…
I'd love a replica Mk1 road going version in metallic silver blue as per P1069 when it was new in '66... imagine owning the real McCoy!
ETA - pedant mode on : there were seven road going MkIIIs built, not three
Four of these were lhd.
As stated above all the Mk1's, Mk2's and Mk4's are rhd.
All the Mk1 and Mk3 were built at Ford Advanced Vehicles Slough. The Mk2's were sent out of Slough as bare chassis straight to the race teams to be built up.
Also Alan Mann Racing took five chassis direct from Ford's chassis supplier Abbey Panels, two built as improved Mk1's and three as Mk2's.
This car shows it's history from it's time on the race track, the door lock harrels, front and side badges have all gone. I think it would originally have had the rear body with four small rear lamps. The Hartwell body latches have been replaced by the pin type & the spare wheel cover fasteners have been changed. Just noticed the black plastic interior mirror too, should be a chrome Lujcas one. Towing eye, side window 'helicopter' vents & rain light all still there ready for the track !
Apologies to those who have already answered several questions. My typing is getting slower by the minute.
A slightly smaller or ideally removable steering wheel is useful. Just don't get the gear lever stuck up your trouser leg.
Passenger side no problem.
Four of these were lhd.
As stated above all the Mk1's, Mk2's and Mk4's are rhd.
All the Mk1 and Mk3 were built at Ford Advanced Vehicles Slough. The Mk2's were sent out of Slough as bare chassis straight to the race teams to be built up.
Also Alan Mann Racing took five chassis direct from Ford's chassis supplier Abbey Panels, two built as improved Mk1's and three as Mk2's.
This car shows it's history from it's time on the race track, the door lock harrels, front and side badges have all gone. I think it would originally have had the rear body with four small rear lamps. The Hartwell body latches have been replaced by the pin type & the spare wheel cover fasteners have been changed. Just noticed the black plastic interior mirror too, should be a chrome Lujcas one. Towing eye, side window 'helicopter' vents & rain light all still there ready for the track !
Apologies to those who have already answered several questions. My typing is getting slower by the minute.
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