Words: Rory FH Smith
In the early 1960s, Henry Ford II set his top brass a monumental challenge: to win the Le Mans 24hours, the ultimate endurance race.
With the end goal in mind, Ford’s finest engineers set about creating a GT car capable of defeating the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Jaguar. Their solution came in the form of the Ford GT40, so called because the car stood 40inches tall – simple, no?
Ford’s GT40 made its debut at Le Mans in 1964 but it wasn’t until 1966 – half a century ago – that the marque achieved its legendary 1-2-3 formation over the finish line after 24hours in battle. The following years saw GT40s cross the line in pole position until 1969, by which time Ford – as a manufacturer – had withdrawn from sports car endurance racing.
The 1966 Le Mans victory
The original car – the Mk I – carried a 4.7-litre V8 engine which produced 485bhp and could touch 60mph in 4.2seconds. By the time the Mk III appeared in 1967, slight alterations had been made to the nose – to satisfy US safety regulations – and also to the body to accommodate a luggage box at the rear. The same engine was used, which had a top speed of 160mph.
Only seven GT40 Mk IIIs were produced, making it one of the rarest cars on the road. Unlike the previous GT40 models, Ford struggled to find buyers for the Mk III due to its high retail price in the US of $18,500, which made it the most expensive car Ford had ever created – a full $2,000 more than the ‘standard’ GT40 competition cars.
Guide price: £4,000,000+
This particular car has never left Ford’s clutches, having been registered to the company since new. The car featured alongside many other competition GT40s at this year’s Goodwood Revival.
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