Ultra-rare 1960s Ford racer with iconic ‘bundle of snakes’ exhaust undergoes major refurb – and it could be yours
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AN ULTRA-rare 1967 Ford GT40 racer has undergone a complete transformation and is now up for sale at auction.
The GT40, with a striking red livery that mirrors the 1967 Le Mans-winning GT40, has a starting price of £255,000.
mediadrumimagesThis ultra-rare 1967 Ford GT40 has undergone a complete refurbishment[/caption]
mediadrumimagesThe motor features a ‘bundle of snakes’ exhaust system[/caption]
mediadrumimagesThe car is up for auction, with bidding starting at £255,000[/caption]
Powered by a 427ci Ford FE V8 engine and equipped with twin Holley four-barrel carburettors, the car boasts a “bundle of snakes” exhaust system.
It also has four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, independent suspension with coilover shock absorbers, and staggered 15” turbine-style centre-lock magnesium alloy wheels.
And if that wasn’t enough, it features dual electric cooling fans, a steel roll cage, a black cloth-upholstered driver’s seat, and a dimpled passenger seat.
The 1967 Ford motor is one of just 12 J-car chassis constructed by Kar Kraft in Detroit and is one of only two that were modified for Group 7 competition with spyder bodywork after FIA prototype rule changes made the Mark IV ineligible for international racing.
Known as the G7A, chassis J-10 was originally sold in early 1969 to Charles and Kerry Agapiou, who entered it into Can-Am racing for two seasons.
It finished in second-place in the Fuji 200 Miles, though it only finished one of its 10 races.
Following a crash in 1970, the car was sent to England for repairs but remained untouched for years before being sold in 1989 to a Los Angeles real estate developer who began converting it into a Mark IV-style configuration.
The unfinished project was then sold in 1996 to its current owners, who completed a meticulous four-year refurbishment in 2017. The car made its debut at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
It’s now up for auction with Bring a Trailer, with the listing stating: “This car has an incredible history, from its early days in Can-Am racing to its stunning restoration into a Mark IV-style GT40.”
The GT40’s development began in 1965 when Ford sought to create a lighter and more aerodynamic successor to the Le Mans-winning GT40 Mark II.
Unlike the Mark II, which was built in England, the J-car was developed in the US by Ford subsidiary Kar Kraft, using advanced aluminium honeycomb sandwich panel construction.
After four experimental chassis were built, four GT40s with Mark IV coupe bodywork, engineered by Shelby American’s Chief Engineer Phil Remington, secured victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967.
However, new engine displacement restrictions in 1968 rendered the Mark IV J-cars ineligible for Le Mans, leading Ford to abandon the project with four unfinished chassis.
“This is a true piece of motorsport history, and it’s incredible to see it restored to this level,” the listing adds.
The History of Ford
The idea for the first Ford internal combustion engine was created on Henry Ford’s kitchen table in 1888. He then founded the Ford Motor Company a few years later.
The first Model T was rolled out of a Ford factory in Michigan in 1908 and was hailed as high-quality, easy to handle, and affordable.
Workers and managers at Ford factories contributed to the idea of the moving assembly line. Until then, the chassis was stationary and workers moved around it, slowly building the car up until it was finished.
The assembly line turned this on its head, allowing the work to be taken to the workers. It once took 12 hours to build a Model T, the assembly line reduced that to one and a half hours.
In the 1960s, Ford Europe was created by the merger of Ford of Britain, Ford Germany, and the Irish Henry Ford & Son Ltd.
Its first vehicle was the front-engined Ford Transit van. Introduced in 1965, it has become the best-selling commercial vehicle in most European countries ever since it was first launched.
In 1993, Ford launched the Ford Mondeo, which quickly picked up multiple awards.
The car’s current Mark IV-style body was fabricated under its current ownership, incorporating an aluminium roof structure that is integral to the chassis. It also features a fibreglass nose panel, doors, and a tail panel that hinges at the rear.
It rides on turbine-style magnesium alloy wheels, secured by colour-coded directional three-eared knock-offs and wrapped in Hoosier TD S tyres measuring 25.5×8.5-15 at the front and 27.5×11.0-15 at the rear.
Inside, the right-hand-drive cockpit features a driver’s seat upholstered in black cloth with vinyl bolster trim, while the passenger seat remains untrimmed and dimpled. Safety equipment includes a four-point latch-and-link harness for the driver and a steel roll cage.
The cockpit also houses a three-spoke steering wheel, a Jones Motrola tachometer, and gauges for coolant temperature, oil temperature, fuel pressure, and oil pressure. An array of toggle switches and fuses is positioned to the driver’s left. Notably, the car is not fitted with an odometer, and its exact mileage remains unknown.
During its time as a Ford development vehicle, this chassis was equipped with multiple experimental powertrains before receiving its current 427ci Ford FE V8 during its Mark IV conversion.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Kar Kraft T-44 synchronised four-speed manual transaxle. The car’s four-wheel independent suspension incorporates coilover shock absorbers and anti-roll bars at both ends.
The car is not legal for road use and carries no title or registration. It is being sold on a bill of sale, with historical documentation included.
mediadrumimagesThe interior and exterior has been completely transformed[/caption]
mediadrumimagesThe car was developed in the US by Ford subsidiary Kar Kraft[/caption]
mediadrumimagesThe car is powered by a 427ci Ford FE V8 engine and equipped with twin Holley four-barrel carburettors[/caption]
mediadrumimagesThe motor is being sold on a bill of sale, with historical documentation included[/caption]
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