New rules taking effect for the 1966 season dictated that at least 50 examples had to be made to run the GT competition class. By the end of the 1965, specification was finalized, and production versions of the GT40s began with chassis GT40P/1000.

This was a major step for a program which had produced 12 cars of varying specification in 1964 and 1965 with limited results. Mid-1965 production began on series of race and road GT40s from Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England from a finalized tub-chassis design.

Ford changed little for their road-going orders, handing over keys to Le Mans-ready cars for diminutive street use.

Under the large clamshell hood, the production GT40 used the Ford Fairlane V8 which was first installed by Shelby American. For the road, Ford supplied 335 bhp, in competition trim, with a lighter flywheel and no mufflers, this engine produced 380 bhp.

The interior is where Ford Advanced vehicles changed the road cars the most. As one would guess more interior trim, pockets and sound deadening where added in the mix. Further amenities included a heater, a radio and glass windscreens.

In total, 87 production GT40s were made from chassis GT40P/1000 to GT40P/1086. Around 30 of these were delivered with full interiors and wire wheels for use on the road.

 

Auction Sales History

1967 Ford GT40 Mk 1 GT40P/1058 – sold for $3,520,000 One of Only 31 GT40 Mk 1 Road Cars Built. Ford Motor Company Promotional Car 1967–1968. Faithfully Presented in Original Carmen Red Livery with Borrani Wire Wheels. Well-Preserved Original Features Including the Interior. Auction Source: 2014 Pebble Beach Auctions by Gooding & Company

1965 Ford GT40 P/1034 – did not sell for $2,150,000 One of 31 GT40 Mark I road cars. Construction completed in 1965. Sympathetically restored and beautifully maintained; competition modifications. Well-documented example. Important benchmark in the development of the modern mid- engine supercar. Auction Source: 2013 Arizona Auction by RM

1966 Ford GT40 Mk I P/1065 – sold for $1,650,000. The provenance of P/1065 is bolstered by a thoroughly documented record of continuous ownership, one that has been officially corroborated by both the Shelby Registry and the GT40 Enthusiasts Club. Furthermore, this car has been featured in a number of books and magazine articles about the GT40 model, including Ford GT40 by John S. Allen, GT40: An Individual History and Race Record by Ronnie Spain, the September 1978 issue of Autocar and the Spring 1984 issue of Supercar Classics. P/1065 was also photographed extensively for the substantial entry on the GT40 featured in Ultimate Automobiles by Alberto Martinez and Jose Rosinski.

1966 Ford GT40 MK1 1065 – sold for $1,465,000. Chassis number 1065 was sent to the Ford Merchandising Department in Dearborn but was not delivered to its first owner, Charles Hill of Dallas, Texas, until 1967. Andy Harman from Mississippi owned the car for a short while during 1969 before it was sold to English collector Nicholas Shrigley-Fiegl in 1970. A two-year restoration was undertaken in 1980-1982, and when completed the car only showed 2,035 recorded miles. Later, in 1984, William Loughran bought 1065.