Presented by RM Sotheby’s – This Shelby GT40 is a quality re-creation of the original Ford GT that beat Ferrari and finished in the top three positions at the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. One of Superformance’s most ambitious creations ever, this GT40 is incredibly detailed and faithful to the original Mk II design. Adding to its appeal and exclusivity, this chassis is an 85th Commemorative Edition example created in 2008 to celebrate the 85th birthday of none other than Carroll Shelby. Fittingly, only 85 units in the series were constructed, with this chassis bearing serial number one. Since its completion, it has been driven fewer than four miles.
While developing their exhilarating GT40, Superformance engineers went to great lengths to ensure authenticity; the resulting car was so authentic, that it could bear the name “GT40.” Further, it carries a GT40/P chassis number and is eligible for entry in the GT40 registry. This is not simply a modern tube-frame chassis shrink-wrapped in a fiberglass body; the Superformance GT40 MKII has a super-rigid steel semi-monocoque chassis with a pressed-steel roof, just like the original Mark IIs. Nearly everything is like the original, right down to the “Gurney bubble” in the roof. Of course, some improvements were made in the interest of durability, weight savings, and safety; further, electro-galvanized sheet steel is used in construction to improve longevity. However, 90 percent of the parts are said to be interchangeable with the original GT40 Mk II.
Notable differences from the source car include the addition of air conditioning and more modern Wilwood brakes, along with the fact that it is left-hand drive; the original race-prepared cars featured a steering wheel on the right. Power is provided by a custom-built, naturally aspirated aluminum 511-cubic inch FE v-8 engine developing an estimated 692 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. Here, it is paired to an RBT five-speed manual transaxle with center-mounted shifter. In a car that weighs only around 2,400 pounds, the acceleration and performance of this 2008 Shelby GT40 Mk II remains breathtaking. Suitable for vintage racing, this time-tested design still has—in skilled hands—the potential to blow the doors off most modern supercars at track days.
Whether on- or off-track, if you want to turn heads, this spectacular GT40 MKII 85th Commemorative Edition will do it better than most anything else. This chassis’ connection to the legendary Carroll Shelby, including a signed dashboard (Shelby’s signature is here joined by that of driver Bob Bondurant), only deepen its appeal. It will be offered at RM Sotheby’s Arizona sale, taking place 22 January in Scottsdale, Arizona.
