The "original" GT40s were designed and manufactured in the mid and late 60's. Anything after that is simply a copy regardless of whether one party (Safir) has purchased or retained a copyright/TM right. It's just bs to call these later Safir cars originals cause they ain't. The Safir/Superformance tactic of continuation serial numbers is simply a vain attempt to give "provenance" to brand new cars that have none. Certainly, they are very good copies and wonderful cars and deserve appreciation as beautiful things (same as my CAV) but there's nothing "original GT40" about these cars. The Sbarro situation is outright misrepresentation and fraud.
Original GT40 ?
- Thread starter Danny Grayne
- Start date
FIA papers for the 1040 manufactured by F Sbarro
According to my records the owner (see Autoweek http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060814/FREE/60803007/1029) Pierre Bos competed in this car in the Tour de France in 2002. This car must have FIA papers.
According to my records the owner (see Autoweek http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060814/FREE/60803007/1029) Pierre Bos competed in this car in the Tour de France in 2002. This car must have FIA papers.
Safir/Superformance continuation numbers
Cliff beer
They might be cashing in on continuation numbering but Safir and Superperformance. Cannot call themselves 'Ford GT40's' just GT40. If you look at the sidwinders stripes on the sides of the Safir it would read "Powered by Ford" not "Ford GT40" or as on the originals "Ford GT"
As for cars with a racing history or significant history i.e Prototype, Famous past owners, etc. These are the factors in their selling price over one with no racing history.
Regards Allan
Cliff beer
They might be cashing in on continuation numbering but Safir and Superperformance. Cannot call themselves 'Ford GT40's' just GT40. If you look at the sidwinders stripes on the sides of the Safir it would read "Powered by Ford" not "Ford GT40" or as on the originals "Ford GT"
As for cars with a racing history or significant history i.e Prototype, Famous past owners, etc. These are the factors in their selling price over one with no racing history.
Regards Allan
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hellem said:
If any documentation has been issued by the FIA to the Sbarro-built ersatz "GT40 1040," its purpose was not to validate any claims about the car's authenticity as the purported #1040. This was made clear to me in a telephone message and exchange of e-mail messages with two FIA U.S. representatives. However, the possession of "FIA papers" is often taken, mistakenly, to mean that the FIA has given its imprimatur to a car owner's description and claims. This confusion about what current "FIA papers" do or do not represent was at least one of the reasons why the FIA is revamping its documentation by initiating the Heritage Certificate and Heritage Technical Passport programs. The Heritage Certificate is explicitly intended to give FIA backing to a specific car's chassis number and history. In the eyes of the FIA, that car is the one and only original GT40 #XXXX (for example), with only one certificate being issued for any one particular chassis number. Issuance of a Heritage Technical Passport means that a car is built to original specifications but need not be an "original" car; i.e., clones and other high-quality replicas could get a Heritage Technical Passport. For GT40s, issuance of a Certificate would seem to be possible only to "original" cars still with their original tubs, but it will be interesting to see how cases of latter-day rebuilds on not-quite period-correct tubs (GT40 #1012 comes to mind) play out. It would not seem possible for a Sbarro-built "GT40" to get a Heritage Certificate. Perhaps this is why the fake "1040" found its way to auction. However, it may be possible for a Sbarro "GT40" to get a Heritage Technical Passport, as the cars are largely--although not totally--faithful to original specification and construction, as Ronnie Spain has pointed out.
Regarding the question about GT40 #1079 in Danny G's message in this thread, it is one of the original chassis numbers that has been used on a Sbarro-built GT40, according to Ronnie Spain.
Hope all this helps, rather than confuses.
As a good friend of Ronnie Spain and a former GT40 owner in the 70's I would like to endorse Don S comments in our luck at having Ronnie as the custodian of the GT40 heritage.
His total focus on the subject is unbelievable.
He recently told me if all the original GT40 monocoques were placed on a football pitch , on one walk round he could identify 50....an hour later another 25....and before the day was out the rest!
I host a Lotus based charity weekend every year and always ask Ronnie and he always makes the journey from Scotland.We love to see him.
He is the exception to the rule....' ginger haired men have no soul !..'
Michael Hipperson
Essex UK
Owner 1005 1971-1975 ...now there is a story !!
For 1005 see
www.jam.co.uk/hipperson/
For Ronnie see
www.elisegardenparty.co.uk
His total focus on the subject is unbelievable.
He recently told me if all the original GT40 monocoques were placed on a football pitch , on one walk round he could identify 50....an hour later another 25....and before the day was out the rest!
I host a Lotus based charity weekend every year and always ask Ronnie and he always makes the journey from Scotland.We love to see him.
He is the exception to the rule....' ginger haired men have no soul !..'
Michael Hipperson
Essex UK
Owner 1005 1971-1975 ...now there is a story !!
For 1005 see
www.jam.co.uk/hipperson/
For Ronnie see
www.elisegardenparty.co.uk
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