I note from a previous post, that Alan has been down this road before. Here's a photo curtosy of Brett McCall of 1008 with those five spokers.. described in John Allen's book as Alan Mann wheels.
http://homepages.tesco.net/brett.mccall/gt40/images/preview81.jpg
Hi Andrew
I think I can sought out the confusion those Ford P68 five spoke wheels described as Alan Mann wheels that you see on P1008 would be as described for the following reason:-
The P68 was an Alan Mann Project 1968. But these wheels would have been available in either five or six spoke. Alan Mann chose five spoke. Alan Mann bought them in as his Halibrands on his lightweights through Ford. He never manufacturered them.
The five spoke were on the P68 (in 1968/69) and P1008 as shown in the colour Linden Green and with these wheels would be maybe in the mid 1994 until the colour change to White from the Brett Photos. Since thoughout its life it has been the Fords press car and although race speced has have a varity of identities P1075 and P1046 the Le Mans winners.
I would love to see P1008 with Graham Hill and the FAV 5 spoke Wheels.
The only early pictures I can find of Graham Hill with a GT40. This is journalists day with Alan Mann at Goodwood in 1965. But although the press car P1008 (running Borrani wire wheels)was there; it was not the car he was demonstrating. But P1019 running on the very rare and much sought after Halibrands.
Also in John Allen's book Ford GT40 1991 page 61 shows the a GT40 final type of wheel as the six spoke design alias the JW or Mirage wheel that was simplier than the Halibrand and was adopted from 1967 onwards. I even have a picture of Bruce Mclaren using 6 spokes on while testing the MKIV in 1967
I think the FAV started to be available in 1966 and although 6 spoke they were a slightly different design. Perhaps they were the US made ones? The Mirage JW BRM were UK made but that would be from 1967 onwards. The earlest pictures I have seen show US 6 spokes (FAV?) on P1040 and P1007 Ford France cars at the 1966 Le Mans.
My conclusion was not that the MKII's were the only GT40's to use Halibrands. But that even in 1965 to 1966 GT40 MKI would have used them for racing but they were hard to get.
But certanly the UK based racing teams used them Rob Walker (1965); Alan Mann (1966) and others. The Mirage 6 spoke was obviously JW made which continued to the BRM (I do not know the difference) from 1967 onwards because of their simplicity to make over the Halibrands.
If 6 spokes FAV/US were available in 1966 why were most GT40 MKI not using because they were hard to get??? A lot of the cars being built and deliveried in 1966 were supplied with FAV alloys.
Regards Allan