When contemplating the purchase of an ultra-rare Ford GT40, especially in an auction setting, one must possess a bank account with a large amount of zeros considering most, if not all, have been known to reach the million-dollar mark.
With an impressive history to account for, this particular GT40 is no exception.
The car in question being a 1967 Gulf/Mirage Ford GT40 that raked in a lucrative racing career throughout the late 60s and early 70s, starting with a debut win at Spa in 1967.
This one of only two surviving production lightweight GT40’s comes with a 440bhp V8 linked to a five-speed manual transmission.
While a standard, race-bred GT40 would bring near a few million in any auction setting, the Gulf/Mirage lightweight landed a role as camera car in the 1971 Steve McQueen film “Le Mans,’ adding to the overall value.
Originally, RM auctioneers only estimated the classic racer to reach upwards of $8 million (€6.5 million). After a fallout of many bidders due to an inflated price tag, two bidders continued on raising the price from $9 million (€7.3 million) to the final $11 million (€8.9 million) purchase, not including auction house fees.
This $11 million price tag now holds the record for most expensive American car ever sold, beating out last year’s big name Duesenberg Model-J Long Wheelbase Coupe that rang in at $10.34 million (€8.4 million) at the same event.
By Jeff Perez
PHOTO GALLERY
