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Claim a part of film and racing history with this Ford GT40 which starred alongside Matt Damon and Christian Bale in Ford vs Ferrari.
Silver Screen Car Costars
The Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic racecars of all time. The GT40 marked Ford’s return to motorsports and another major notch on the belt for Carroll Shelby. The story of the GT40, Ford’s rivalry with Ferrari, and Shelby’s helming of the GT40 project are all dramatized in James Mangold’s 2019 Ford vs Ferrari. The film starred Matt Damon as Shelby and Christian Bale as test driver and engineer Ken Miles, and the GT40 as itself. In capturing the storied rivalry and the uniquely compelling characters of Shelby and Miles, Mangold manages to pull off one of the best racing movies of all time.
A connection to the blockbuster film makes our featured listing, an impeccably executed 2004 Ford GT40 replica, especially compelling. That’s because it was used in the filming of Ford vs Ferrari (it shared screen time with Christian Bale!).
The Story Behind the Movie
For those of you who haven’t seen the movie or are otherwise unfamiliar with the GT40’s story, here’s a quick primer.
Back in the late 1950s, the AMA (Automobile Manufacturers of America) agree to pull back from participating directly in motor sports following a few well-publicized fatal racing accidents, including the 1955 disaster at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Such a ban was fine in theory, but US carmakers were loath to keep out of racing entirely, instead skirting the spirit of the AMA agreement by producing cars with large V8s suitable for racing applications.
Henry Ford II, grandson to Henry Ford and then head of Ford Motor Company, declared that the AMA agreement “has come to neither purpose of effect” and Ford would be returning to competitive racing. Rather than start from scratch, Ford set its sights on acquiring Ferrari and with it, Scuderia Ferrari (the company’s racing division and its true heart). At the time, Ferrari was a dominant force in racing, but its production car business was struggling. The dire financial situation meant Ferrari was indeed open to Ford’s acquisition offer.
That was until Enzo Ferrari was informed that Ford would be controlling (and limiting) Scuderia Ferrari’s budget. This Enzo could not abide, summarily rejecting any deal with Ford. Thus spurned, Henry Ford II vowed to beat Ferrari on their own turf at the racing world’s most prestigious event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ford began developing a new GT race car, the GT40, in 1962. Though promising, the early GT40 design was not up to the task of besting the Ferrari 275 and Ford’s three entries at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans failed to finish. Seeking a new direction, Ford hired Carroll Shelby to head up the GT40 project.
Shelby dropped in a new motor, Ford’s 427 V8 he’d used in the Shelby Cobra, and set to work refining the body and chassis with the help of driver/engineer Ken Miles. Their diligence paid off with a 1-2-3 finish at Daytona in February of 1965 and another 1-2-3 finish at the 12 Hours or Sebring in March of 1966.
The Ford, Shelby, and Miles rode the GT40’s new-found momentum to the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the famous showdown between Ford and Ferrari culminated, with Shelby in the pits and Miles behind the wheel. The GT40 posted a triumphant 1-2-3 finish with Ferrari settling for a distant eighth place.
The win was not devoid of controversy, however. Ford executives, including Henry Ford II, wanted a three-way photo finish for promotional purposes. This forced Ken Miles to allow his fellow GT40 drivers to catch up. It also meant that because of their relative starting positions, Miles would be giving up his first-place finish in the process. The Ford GT40 continued to dominate at Le Mans, posting wins there for the next three years.
Mangold does a laudable job balancing the character development of our two principles, Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, with the never jangling, high energy racing at the center of the story.
The Story Behind the Movie
The Ford GT40 we’ve chosen to spotlight is a 2004 replica of the 1968 GT40 chassis #1076 with a proper 427 Ford V8 under the hood. That would make it a cool enough car as it is, but this GT40 has the added distinction of appearing in the Ford vs Ferrari movie. It can be seen in background shots of the airplane hangar/workshop. The Indigo Blue exterior is a vinyl wrap done for the film, underneath is the original Gulf Blue and Orange paint job. According to the seller, while this GT40 was not used for driving shots, it was the only GT40 used in filming to carry the period correct 427 V8. A certificate of authenticity and movie memorabilia are included in the sale, along with a three-ring binder containing all pertinent documentation.
This unique Ford GT40 is listed for $254,995.
