The prototype GT40 raced at Le Mans in 1965 but was retired after the 11th lap
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- This Ford GT40 Roadster has been owned by the founder of Mecum for over a decade.
- In 2019, the only other GT40 Roadster Prototype in existence sold for $7.65 million.
- Power is provided by a Cobra-spec 289 cubic-inch V8 and a five-speed manual gearbox.
One of the headliners at Mecum Auctions Indy sales event in mid-May is a rare gem: a 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype. It’s one of just 12 GT prototypes built by Ford between January 1964 and April 1965, and only five of them were roadsters. To top it off, this is the only GT Roadster to ever compete at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, almost certainly cementing its place as one of the most valuable Fords in existence.
This specific model, known as GT/109, was delivered to Shelby in March 1965 for final prep before the big race. Shelby’s team made several key upgrades to ready it for Le Mans, including a fresh coat of white paint paired with a dark blue livery. It was one of five Ford GTs to race at Le Mans in 1965, equipped with a Cobra-spec 289 cubic-inch V8 and a ZF five-speed manual transmission.
Read: Ford Returns To Top-Tier Category In Le Mans, Aiming To Beat Ferrari Again
French racing drivers Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier drove the car at Le Mans, but it had to be retired after the 11th lap when the gearbox failed. It was later sent back to Shelby American to be rebuilt and a couple of years later, was purchased by Californian car customizer Dean Jeffries. The founder of Mecum Auctions, Dana Mecum, bought the car from Jeffries’ son in 2013 and has had it rebuilt once again.
Photos Mecum
Curiously, this is the third time that Dana Mecum has attempted to sell the car through his popular platform. In 2018, the car was included in Mecum’s Kissimmee auction, but failed to sell. In 2020, Mecum again tried to sell it and had expected it to fetch between $7.5 million and $10 million. It also seems to have failed on the second attempt, too. Perhaps it’ll be a case of third time’s the charm.
The only other surviving GT40 Roadster Prototype, GT/108, was sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in 2019 for a cool $7.65 million. Let’s see if GT/109 can bring home a similar figure—or possibly more—this time around.
If you’re interested in taking a closer look at this rare piece of automotive history or maybe even adding it to your collection (assuming you’ve got the kind of funds that would make most of us weep), you can check out the full listing and all the details here.