A One-of-Two Ford GT Roadster Competition Prototypes

On this planet of classic automotive gathering, there’s uncommon, and there’s ultra-rare. We have now seen a good few very uncommon automobiles going beneath the hammer not too long ago, with information being smashed often. Take into consideration the Mercedes-Benz W196 Streamliner, as an example, or the Steve McQueen-owned and driven Porsche 917K from the cult-movie Le Mans. This one, nevertheless, I simply couldn’t go up! Firstly, becuase I like the historical past of the automotive and the way it performed its half in Ford conquering Le Mans 4 years operating, and secondly, as a result of it appears simply so freaking cool! As simply certainly one of 5 ever constructed, and solely two which have survived the check of time, that is the story of the 1965 Ford GT/109 Competitors Prototype Roadster! Oh, and in case you’re up for it, it may be yours!

It’s not on daily basis a automotive like this modifications fingers, particularly not one with such a backstory. The clash between Ferrari and Ford has been nicely documented, after all, but it surely stays an enchanting saga within the historical past of motorsport. Ford had an curiosity in getting into Le Mans within the early Nineteen Sixties and was reportedly informed that Ferrari is perhaps eager about a takeover by the People. In 1963, with negotiations nicely underway, a delegation of Ford executives travelled to Maranello, Italy, to debate the small print of the cope with Il Commendatore, Enzo Ferrari himself. Enzo Ferrari snarled that Ford would by no means be allowed to purchase Ferrari because the American carmaker demanded full management over Ferrari’s racing crew and its open-wheel racing actions, one thing he merely refused to surrender. And with that, the deal fell aside, and the People have been despatched packing.

That sparked one of many biggest rivalries within the historical past of endurance racing, and one which ended Ferrari’s dominance at Le Mans. Again within the late Nineteen Fifties and early Nineteen Sixties, Ferrari was in complete management of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. It claimed victory within the first post-war version in 1949, then once more in 1954 and in 1958, earlier than profitable six instances in a row from 1960 to 1965. Ferrari seemed to be unbeatable at the famous French track, however as Ford was bluntly informed to sod-off and the supposed deal fell by way of, a plan was hatched to beat Ferrari the place it will damage essentially the most: Le Mans.

With the incident in Maranello between Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford nonetheless angering the American, he directed his personal racing division to start out the event of a racing automotive able to not solely competing at Le Mans but additionally profitable at Le Mans. Ford invited a number of constructors to co-develop such a automotive, together with Lotus, Lola and Cooper. Finally, Lola was chosen, as they already had endurance racing expertise and used a Ford V8 within the MK6, or Lola GT because it’s additionally recognized. Improvement on the brand new automotive began in 1963, with Lola supplying the chassis and Ford’s new FAV (Ford Superior Automobiles) division just about taking good care of the remainder. The very first chassis, designated GT/101, was unveiled in April 1964, with Ford’s 289ci (4.7 litre) V8 within the rear.

A month later, the Ford GT40 (with 40 indicating the whole peak of the automotive in inches) made its debut on the Nürburgring 1000km. Sadly, it needed to retire attributable to suspension points. Ford then moved to Le Mans with three automobiles, all of which sadly didn’t make the total 24 hours of the race. The 1964 season went on just about like that, with no notable achievements coming from the brand new automotive. By the top of the 12 months, the mission was handed over to Carroll Shelby of Shelby American to see if he may enhance the automotive and convey it to victory.

Shelby’s first victory with the GT40 got here in his first race as supervisor of the Ford GT program, with Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby profitable the Daytona 2000km race in February 1965. Though a second-place end on the Sebring 12 Hours proved the automotive’s potential, the 1965 season nonetheless noticed the automobiles coping with improvement points. Luck would change when Shelby and Ford switched to the 427ci or 7.0 litre V8s to energy the GT40 MKII. It instantly received once more at Daytona, now in the 24-hour race format for the primary time ever, displaying the automotive may certainly survive the ordeal of a round the clock endurance race. Similar to at Daytona, the GT40 MKII got here in first, second and third at Sebring once more, earlier than transferring to Le Mans in June of that 12 months. Astonishingly, the GT40 achieved one more podium lock-out on the well-known French occasion, with Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren taking dwelling the win, adopted by Ken Miles and Denny Hulme in second place, and Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson coming in third. The way in which Ford orchestrated the 1-2-3 consequence, nevertheless, has gone down in historical past as one of the vital controversial finishes within the legendary occasion.

Following that maiden win, Ford went on to blitz the opposition three extra instances in 1967, 1968 and 1969. Funnily sufficient, the primary win got here by the GT40 MKII, the second win by the way more aerodynamic GT40 MKIV, and the third and fourth win by the MKI. And talking of the MKI, that is additionally the place the GT Roadster Competitors Prototype is available in! It may not be the best-known chapter within the GT40’s historical past to nearly all of individuals, however an essential one! Ford developed an X-1 Roadster in 1965 to be entered into the North American Professional Collection, a precursor to the legendary Can-Am series. That particular automotive served as a check mattress for a number of elements, corresponding to guide and computerized gearboxes, but additionally a light-weight aluminium chassis. Though the X-1 was a one-off and ordered to be destroyed by US customs officers over a tariff difficulty, it was a part of a bunch of 5 GT Roadsters constructed.

This 1965 Ford GT Roadster Competitors Prototype, chassis GT/109, which you see within the pictures, is without doubt one of the unique 12 prototypes constructed by Ford between January 1964 and April 1965. It is without doubt one of the solely two surviving roadsters out of the 5 that have been constructed, with the opposite being chassis GT/108. Among the many modifications between the coupes and this roadster, other than chopping the roof, is a three-inch longer tubular chassis, and whereas it seems equivalent to the GT/108 chassis, the GT/109 additionally comes with a detachable rollover part. It was delivered to Shelby American in March of 1965 with the intent to organize it for that 12 months’s Le Mans race. Because of this, it obtained updates based mostly on the modifications used on the GT40 that gave Ford its maiden win at Daytona.

These updates included magnesium Halibrand wheels, a brand new air dam up entrance, sidemounted engine oil radiators, extra rear air flow, a better rear spoiler, and so forth. Additionally noteworthy is the Cobra-spec 289ci (4.7 litre) V8 engine, mated to a ZF 5-speed gearbox. Each engine and gearbox are interval right to what the automotive would run again in its day, though they’ve been rebuilt. It’s additionally fitted with the ‘Bundle of Snakes’ exhaust manifold used within the improvement of the automotive. It additionally sits on period-correct magnesium Halibrand wheels, and is completed within the Ford of France colourscheme it raced with.

The GT/109 automotive was one of many six automobiles entered into the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours race, and the one open-top GT40 to ever accomplish that. Its racing quantity modified from 9 to fifteen, and as talked about, it was completed in Ford of France’s cream white with blue livery. As drivers, Ford employed Maurice Trintignant and Man Ligier, however the journey was short-lived, because the automotive retired very early within the race. On lap 11, the gearbox broke down and the automotive was out of the race. Enjoyable truth: one of many doorways was loaned to a sister-car, after dropping one within the race, so at the least part of the GT/109 made it additional than 11 laps. The automotive was later returned to Shelby American to be rebuilt following the Le Mans race for additional improvement. On this second lease on life, it served as a developmental testing automobile for the legendary J-car, the GT40 MKIV, with which Ford received Le Mans in 1966.

After retiring from its racing and improvement careers, it was bought to Hollywood stuntman and automotive customizer Dean Jeffries. Jeffries discovered little time for his private initiatives over these for shoppers, so it remained parked for 30 years. It was restored by Jeffries within the late Nineties and finally bought to Dana Mecum, the president and founding father of Mecum Auctions, in 2013. Skilled restoration specialist Harley Cluxton III was enlisted to convey the GT/109 again to concours customary, together with the unique Ford of France livery from 1965. It received 2nd at school at Pebble Beach Concourse d’Magnificence in 2016, coming in behind the 1966 Le Mans-winning GT40 MKII. It’s now up for public sale at Mecum, going throughout the block on Could seventeenth within the public sale home’s Indy 2025 occasion. No reserve or estimate is communicated at the moment, however I’m fairly certain this may soar! It’s, in spite of everything, one of many rarest iterations of one of many biggest racing automobiles ever made!

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Editorial Observe: Images courtesy of Mecum Auctions Inc. until said in any other case. The photographs and knowledge for this story are supplied by, and used with permission of, Mecum Auctions Inc.