Carroll Shelby Drove This Ford GT40. Now It Could Fetch $6 Million.

Opportunity can often be heard knocking, but it’s not always clear which door it’s at. That may have easily been the case with the Ford Motor Company in 1963. That was the year it sought to gain prominence and respect as a player at the highest echelon of motorsport by attempting to hitch itself to the Prancing Horse marque of Enzo Ferrari. That plan famously failed, and the Ford GT40 program rose from the ashes of what might have been.

On January 16, Mecum Auctions will present one of the early examples to come from the Blue Oval’s response to Enzo’s rejection. Crossing the block as one of the headline lots will be a 1965 Ford GT40 MkI, a car briefly driven by none other than Carroll Shelby, the man largely responsible for the model’s creation and subsequent success.

The New York Times of May 16, 1963, ran a short blurb titled “Ford Negotiating for Ferrari Deal” on page 52 of that day’s newspaper. “Acquisition of the Ferrari concern—which employs 400 workers, technicians, and designers—could fit into plans for a return to sports activity revealed by Ford last year . . .” the piece mentioned. The article further states: “It was also said that the Ferrari name and production would not be changed by the acquisition. Some sources said they understand the price tag for the deal—reported at the equivalent of $16,000,000 was still being negotiated.”

Yet only six days later, a joint announcement by both automakers read: “Ford Motor Company and Ferrari wish to indicate, with reference to recent reports of their negotiations toward a possible collaboration, that such negotiations have been suspended by mutual agreement.” This breakdown in talks between the two automotive superpowers lead to Ford going onto overdrive to develop a car to beat any machine from Maranello at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The initial Ford GT40 race cars, however, did not have what it took to go the distance at Circuit de la Sarthe in 1964, and were lackluster at Le Mans the following year as well. But the program persevered, and though the MkI was given a 289 ci V-8—mated to a five-speed manual transaxle—the GT40 MkII featured a 427 ci V-8 along with a host of other enhancements. It was the latter variant of the model that had examples sweep across the finish line in first, second, and third at the end of the now-fabled 1966 edition of the race—a contest brought to the silver screen with the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari.

One of only 48 examples of the GT40 MKI that were designated as “racing coupes,” P/1018 was born as an exhibition car sent to Shelby American for advertising purposes. According to Mecum’s lot description, “P/1018 is one of only two GT40s known to have been driven in period by Carroll Shelby, per noted Ford GT40 marque expert and historian Ronnie Spain.” Of the automotive icon’s time behind the wheel, Mecum goes on to mention: “On January 6, 1966, Carroll Shelby drove P/1018 at the opening of a new section of the Santa Monica Freeway, with Miss Santa Monica occupying the passenger seat.”

The auction house also brings out that the car later played a minor role in the production of the classic motorsport movie Grand Prix, as racer Bob Bondurant tested mobile camera rigging with it, and the vehicle went on to have a cameo in the television show The Man From U.N.C.L.E. It eventually fell under the stewardship of several  esteemed owners through the years, including Ray Bellm who, as Mecum points out, was “a three-time FIA Group C2 Endurance Racing World Champion,” who competed with the car for years in Europe. Races it has participated in include the Le Mans Classic, the Goodwood Revival, and the Daytona Classic 24 Hours, according to its Mecum bio.

“In P/1018 you have one of the literal poster children for Shelby American and the GT40 MkI program,” says David Purvis, director of consignments for Mecum Auctions. He tells Robb Report, “This is the exact car that was introduced to the public . . . Not to mention the car has a long list of other film and tv appearances which make it arguably the most famous GT40 MkI.  Later in its life it has also proved to be more than “just a pretty face” by its many winning performances in the vintage racing scene.”

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Yet, surprisingly, it’s not the only illustrious GT40 that Mecum is offering on the same day at its event in Kissimmee, Fla. Even more noteworthy is the 1966 GT40 MkII Factory Lightweight being presented. One of only three built, it’s a car that Purvis tells Robb Report “stands tall above the many other GT40’s that have ever been publicly offered for auction . . . a car for the ages.” But while Mecum does not provide an estimate for the ultrarare MkII Factory Lightweight, it estimates the value of the 1965 GT40 MkI to be between $5.5 million and $6 million.

Click here for more photos of this 1965 Ford GT40 MkI.