This Rare 1969 Ford GT40 Lightweight Is Worth Millions And Could Break Auction Record
It’s a heavyweight in the classic car world.
One of just 10 Ford GT40 Lightweight racing cars that were built is coming up for grabs at the Mecum Auctions Monterey event on Aug. 17.
The all-white 1969 coupe is the same as the iconic Gulf-sponsored cars that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 and 1969.
The GT40 Lightweight was designed to meet new competition rules that reduced the allowable engine size following the model’s 1966 Le Mans win. It features lighter bodywork and brakes plus a 440 hp 289 cubic-inch V8-based Gurney Weslake engine. Its official weight was listed at 1,945 lbs.
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The auction car was originally sold to a privateer racer and was used in several competitions, but not at the highest levels of motorsport.
Along with its original rebuilt engine and five-speed transmission it still wears its factory bodywork, which has survived undamaged, but is refinished and repainted.
Mecum hasn’t put a value on the car, but Hagerty lists concours-quality examples like this one at $8 million, although they don’t come up for sale that often.
It could end up getting a much higher bid than that. In 2012, another GT40 Lightweight was sold for $11 million, which was an auction record for American cars at the time and still is for Fords. It did have a unique pedigree, however.
The car was used as a camera car during the making of the Steve McQueen movie “Le Mans.” Modifications were made to accommodate the camera equipment, including the removal of its roof, but it had been restored to its original condition.
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That $11 million price tag pales in comparison to what the 1966 Le Mans winning GT40 allegedly sold for, just not at auction. Collector Rob Kaufman of RK Motors in Charlotte reportedly paid $22 million for it and spent plenty more to have it restored.
Ford went on to reboot the GT in 2004 and again in 2017 with new takes on the mid-engine sports car, but its next supercar will be very different.
The Mustang GTD launching later this year is based on its IMSA and WEC race cars and features a front-mounted 800 hp supercharged V8. Its $325,000 price is the most for any Mustang ever, but seems like a bargain compared to the old GT40s.
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