Record Setting, $11 Million Ford

[eyer]

Never before has an American car garnered so much at auction...

...Friday, this 1968 Ford GT40 sold for $11 million:

Ford CEO Henry Ford II attempted to buy Italy's Ferrari in 1963...

...when that effort failed, Ford II decided to build a car to beat Ferrari in long-distance sports car racing.

The result was the classic GT40, and it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 4 straight years: 1966-1969.

This specific GT40 took the checkers at Spa and raced at both Daytona and Le Mans in 1968; it was later used as a camera car for Steve McQueen's 1971 film, Le Mans (McQueen demanded the film's race footage be recorded at racing speeds!).

What's interesting is that this particular GT40 doesn't have anywhere close to the "history" that other surviving GT40s have...

...when some of those start hitting the auction block, $11 million probably won't even make the opening bid.

 

[trysail]

1968 Ford GT40

used as a camera car for Steve McQueen's 1971 film, Le Mans (McQueen demanded the film's race footage be recorded at racing speeds!).

For private reasons, I have very fond memories of these automobiles and those years.

If anybody is interested in automobile racing, McQueen's financial folly and homage is not to be missed. The plot is awful but nobody ever filmed racing as well.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

For private reasons, I have very fond memories of these automobiles and those years.

If anybody is interested in automobile racing, McQueen's financial folly and homage is not to be missed. The plot is awful but nobody ever filmed racing as well.

You need to check out the bridge episodes of Pawn Stars and Counting Cars where they remade Steve' McQueen's Bullit Car...

 

[Joeybagadonuts]

does it come in any other colors?