Automotive history is full of all kinds of iconic rides that have made an impact on the industry and cemented their place indefinitely. But admittedly, some sell better than others.
As much as there are many influential rides out there, only a limited number of them achieved worldwide popularity through their racing records. In all their uniqueness and limited availability, these world-famous rides hit million-dollar price tags once they appear on auctions — which doesn't happen that often at all, much to everyone's dismay.
For Ford, the most prominent American brand, there's one particular vehicle that fits this one-in-a-million-racing-star description with the uttermost accuracy — the GT40. As you know already, almost 60 years have passed since the notable launch of the GT40 program and four straight 24-hour Le Mans victories, and the car is only more attractive with each passing year.
Actually, ten years ago, RM Sotheby's sold the 1968 Ford GT40 used in Steve McQueen's 1971 Le Mans movie in Monterey for a whopping $11 million, making it the most expensive Ford ever. In 2022, this vehicle still reserves the title, and here's why.
The History Behind The 1968 Ford GT40 Le Mans Movie Car: Iconic Development And Even More Iconic Wins For The GT40
The Ford GT40 originates from one of the most epic rivalries in motorsport. Bugged by Ferrari's dominance in the previous years, Ford Motor Company put out a high-performance endurance race car to compete (and finally win) with its biggest competitor.
The GT40 (GT for Grand Touring, and 40 for 40 inches of height) started as a project in 1960 that gathered the best engineering and racing specialists available at the time (inspired by an unsuccessful and famous failed purchase of Ferrari). However, it was not until 1965, when Carrol Shelby and Ken Miles joined the group, that the GT40 achieved results.
The renamed GT40 MK II program with new team members launched Ford straight onto the top of racing immediately. Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby scored first at Daytona, and Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren second at Sebring. Throughout 1966 and 1969, Ford was an unbeatable winner at 24 Hours of Le Mans, breaking Ferrari's streak and getting the first win for an American manufacturer in a long time.
What's more, the automotive community dubbed this mid-engine sports coupe the finest supercar of the century built in America, which is (if anyone didn't know) still the popular opinion today. Depicted in numerous magazines, books, and movies, and decorating walls of overexcited teenagers, the Ford GT40 will definitely remain one of the most favored racing cars ever built.
How The 1968 Ford GT40 Le Mans Movie Car Ended Up In Filmmaking
Now, there was more than one Ford GT40 built for racing purposes, which is a great thing. Otherwise, we would have never seen one hit the auction at RM Sotheby's.
The mid-engine sports coupe, which appeared on sale in Monterey in 2012, had an interesting history. It debuted as Mirage in 1967 at Spa when Jacky Ickx and Dr. Dick Thompson finished first overall, and it was the first car to win any race with powder blue and marigold Gulf livery. This GT40 won several other victories until 1968 when Ford converted it into a Group 4 GT40 following the FIA regulation change for the season.
What's more, the car sold in 2012 was the first of three GT40 models made for the J.W.A/Gulf team, which earned it several unique touch ups, such as ventilated disc brakes, a lightweight frame, and a lightened roof. Throughout time, the coupe retained all of its specs and features, starting with a V8 and blue paintwork, and hit several more races, such as Daytona, Sebring, and Monza.
But the biggest shift in this GT40's life happened when Steve McQueen's Solar Productions acquired it in 1970. Do you remember the famous movie Le Mans from 1971, starring McQueen? Well, the 1968 Ford GT40 starred too in this movie, and that as a camera car.
Steve McQueen needed a high-performance car to keep up with racing cars and film their performance. The 1968 Ford GT40 emerged as a logical choice, though the movie team had to remove its entire roof section, fully shut the doors, and mount several cameras for filming — which made the car difficult to control.
Still, the filming was completed successfully after five months and the car was ready to continue its career. After getting into the hands of a collector, the 1968 Ford GT40 movie car finally got reconstructed (and got a new roof) and looked just like at the beginning of the career (only with some minor modifications).
After many years of proud presentations, the 1968 Ford GT40 movie car finally went on auction in 2012. Because of its racing and movie-making background, RM Sotheby's didn't even bother to put a price estimate on this highly-desirable coupe. This GT40 went for $11,000,000, accompanied by much applause.
Source: Ford, RM Sotheby’s