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Guest
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Christies is auctioning GT40 serial #1065 at Peeble Beach this Sunday.
Chassis No. GT40 1065
Engine No. SGT 27
Azure blue with black interior
Engine: Ford V8, 4,728cc (289ci), 380bhp at 6,500 rpm; Chassis: sheet steel semi-monocoque with square steel stiffening and glass fiber body panels; Gearbox: ZF five speed; Suspension: front independent double wishbones with coil springs, rear independent double trailing links, lower wishbones, coil springs; Brakes: discs all round. Right hand drive.
The story of the failed merger in 1963 between Ford and Ferrari and the subsequent return to competition motorsport at the highest level by the American company is motoring lore. Suffice to say that Henry Ford II subsequently declared that he 'wanted to win Le Mans in 1966'. With that brief, Lee Iacocca and Leo Beebe formed Ford Advanced Vehicles and went shopping. After visiting Eric Broadley's business in England, they knew they had the basis for a winning car in International long distance road racing. After teaming up with John Wyer, the new Ford GT was unveiled to the world's motoring press in April 1964. Shortly thereafter the Ford Advanced Vehicles premises moved to Slough and the inaugural race for a GT40 was at the Nürburgring 1,000km in May. In 1965 the Ford GT project was given to Holman-Moody and then also to Shelby American who came on board with their sports car endurance racing experience. The next year Ford triumphed at Le Mans when three MK IIs took the checkered flag. An all American built model, the MK IV, triumphed at the 1967 Le Mans event and GT40s also won in 1968 and 1969! Other famous victories, to name but a few, included three wins at the Sebring 12hr, and wins at the Daytona 24hr, Reims 12hr, Watkins Glen 6hr and the Monza and Spa 1,000km races. In fact, the GT40 turned out to be one of the most successful road/competition cars ever built.
Naturally one of the rules of racing is that the manufacturers must build a minimum number of road going variants to homologate the model. These road cars are thus always in demand because in effect they are as close to the racecar as can be achieved. Chassis number 1065 is such a version which would have been built to the exact same specification as a race car except that it lacked race carburetors and conformed to road legislation. Other differences included a fully trimmed cockpit and carpeted interior. This remarkably original GT40 was dispatched in December 1966 to the Ford Merchandising Department in Dearborn, Michigan. When new, it was painted Azure blue and starting in February 1967 it was used as part of a promotional program to assist in the sale of new Mark Is.
The first known owner, according to the Shelby American World Registry and the definitive book GT40 by Ronnie Spain, was Mr. Charles Hill from Dallas, Texas whom we believe acquired the car in late '67. The next owner was Mr. Andy Harmon from Mississippi, who reputedly only kept the car for a few months in 1969, during which time he repainted the car dark blue with yellow markings. In 1970 the car was sold to Nick Shrigley-Feigl, an English collector, who decided to paint the car purple with a white stripe. In this form the car was featured in the September 1978 issue of Autocar magazine. In the early 1980s Mr. Shrigley-Feigl decided to have the car restored and this time he chose to paint the car red with black and red trim. At the completion of this work in 1982, the car still had only 2,035 miles recorded on the odometer! By 1984 the car passed to the well known specialist classic car dealer, William Loughran, who initially registered the car with UK license plate number XGA 1, and shortly after he acquired the highly desirable license plate number GT 40 for it. We believe that in the mid 1980s the car passed to Richard Allen and in January 1989 the new owner was Alan Baker.
Christie's had the pleasure of inspecting this car while still in the ownership of Mr. Baker in September 1998, at which time we noted the mileage was 2,540 miles. In early 2000 the GT40 was sold back to the USA. Before purchase, the car received a detailed inspection and the mileage at that time showed 2,596. In addition, the car still retains its original engine and gearbox, as one would expect from such a low mileage car. Non-original or updated items include a set of Halibrand wheels, 38mm Weber Venturis down draft carburetors, and the fuel pump, pressure regulator, fuel and oil lines and coil have all been updated. Recent work in the past year has included returning the car to its original color scheme of Azure blue with black upholstery. Mechanical work has included a carburetor overhaul, checking the caster angles, rectifying a transistor, adjusting the clutch and fitting two new electric fans.
Overall this is a lovely example of a GT40 Mark I and must rank as one of the lowest mileage and most original GT40s in existence. Importantly its ownership history is well documented and, having never raced (to our knowledge), it has avoided the hazards of a racing car. Having test driven the car we can confirm that 1065 still drives wonderfully, and the mileage in the past couple of years has risen by just a further 200 or so miles! The success of this model in International racing and Super Car road performance are quite legendary, making the GT40 one of the most desired collectors' cars of all time.
Jeff
[ August 13, 2002: Message edited by: Jeff Frigo ]
Chassis No. GT40 1065
Engine No. SGT 27
Azure blue with black interior
Engine: Ford V8, 4,728cc (289ci), 380bhp at 6,500 rpm; Chassis: sheet steel semi-monocoque with square steel stiffening and glass fiber body panels; Gearbox: ZF five speed; Suspension: front independent double wishbones with coil springs, rear independent double trailing links, lower wishbones, coil springs; Brakes: discs all round. Right hand drive.
The story of the failed merger in 1963 between Ford and Ferrari and the subsequent return to competition motorsport at the highest level by the American company is motoring lore. Suffice to say that Henry Ford II subsequently declared that he 'wanted to win Le Mans in 1966'. With that brief, Lee Iacocca and Leo Beebe formed Ford Advanced Vehicles and went shopping. After visiting Eric Broadley's business in England, they knew they had the basis for a winning car in International long distance road racing. After teaming up with John Wyer, the new Ford GT was unveiled to the world's motoring press in April 1964. Shortly thereafter the Ford Advanced Vehicles premises moved to Slough and the inaugural race for a GT40 was at the Nürburgring 1,000km in May. In 1965 the Ford GT project was given to Holman-Moody and then also to Shelby American who came on board with their sports car endurance racing experience. The next year Ford triumphed at Le Mans when three MK IIs took the checkered flag. An all American built model, the MK IV, triumphed at the 1967 Le Mans event and GT40s also won in 1968 and 1969! Other famous victories, to name but a few, included three wins at the Sebring 12hr, and wins at the Daytona 24hr, Reims 12hr, Watkins Glen 6hr and the Monza and Spa 1,000km races. In fact, the GT40 turned out to be one of the most successful road/competition cars ever built.
Naturally one of the rules of racing is that the manufacturers must build a minimum number of road going variants to homologate the model. These road cars are thus always in demand because in effect they are as close to the racecar as can be achieved. Chassis number 1065 is such a version which would have been built to the exact same specification as a race car except that it lacked race carburetors and conformed to road legislation. Other differences included a fully trimmed cockpit and carpeted interior. This remarkably original GT40 was dispatched in December 1966 to the Ford Merchandising Department in Dearborn, Michigan. When new, it was painted Azure blue and starting in February 1967 it was used as part of a promotional program to assist in the sale of new Mark Is.
The first known owner, according to the Shelby American World Registry and the definitive book GT40 by Ronnie Spain, was Mr. Charles Hill from Dallas, Texas whom we believe acquired the car in late '67. The next owner was Mr. Andy Harmon from Mississippi, who reputedly only kept the car for a few months in 1969, during which time he repainted the car dark blue with yellow markings. In 1970 the car was sold to Nick Shrigley-Feigl, an English collector, who decided to paint the car purple with a white stripe. In this form the car was featured in the September 1978 issue of Autocar magazine. In the early 1980s Mr. Shrigley-Feigl decided to have the car restored and this time he chose to paint the car red with black and red trim. At the completion of this work in 1982, the car still had only 2,035 miles recorded on the odometer! By 1984 the car passed to the well known specialist classic car dealer, William Loughran, who initially registered the car with UK license plate number XGA 1, and shortly after he acquired the highly desirable license plate number GT 40 for it. We believe that in the mid 1980s the car passed to Richard Allen and in January 1989 the new owner was Alan Baker.
Christie's had the pleasure of inspecting this car while still in the ownership of Mr. Baker in September 1998, at which time we noted the mileage was 2,540 miles. In early 2000 the GT40 was sold back to the USA. Before purchase, the car received a detailed inspection and the mileage at that time showed 2,596. In addition, the car still retains its original engine and gearbox, as one would expect from such a low mileage car. Non-original or updated items include a set of Halibrand wheels, 38mm Weber Venturis down draft carburetors, and the fuel pump, pressure regulator, fuel and oil lines and coil have all been updated. Recent work in the past year has included returning the car to its original color scheme of Azure blue with black upholstery. Mechanical work has included a carburetor overhaul, checking the caster angles, rectifying a transistor, adjusting the clutch and fitting two new electric fans.
Overall this is a lovely example of a GT40 Mark I and must rank as one of the lowest mileage and most original GT40s in existence. Importantly its ownership history is well documented and, having never raced (to our knowledge), it has avoided the hazards of a racing car. Having test driven the car we can confirm that 1065 still drives wonderfully, and the mileage in the past couple of years has risen by just a further 200 or so miles! The success of this model in International racing and Super Car road performance are quite legendary, making the GT40 one of the most desired collectors' cars of all time.
Jeff
[ August 13, 2002: Message edited by: Jeff Frigo ]
