A 438-percent return on investment sounds pretty good, right? Well, a specific car purchase back in 1976 could have made that ROI a reality, says Road & Track.
Editor Chris Perkins recently scanned older versions of his organization’s publications and came across a startling find — a 1967 Ford GT Mk IV. The Mk IV was one of the rarest Ford GT40 versions ever built, with only a dozen created.
The seller from the Road & Track listing originally asked $100,000 for the car. According to Perkins, that would be approximately $440,000 in today’s dollars, and if the car was to sell for the same amount now, the return on investment would be an astonishing 438 percent if purchased in 1976.
Perkins notes that the Mk IV was designed to win races, with an advanced aerodynamic design. Of the two races it entered in 1967, Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mk IV won both.
The specific Mk IV in the old magazine listing is a chassis J-3, a prototype that probably never raced, and was reportedly only tested by Bruce McLaren and Mark Donohue.
While the J-3 listing was posted long ago, a Ford GT40 Mk IV witch chassis number J-10 will be on the auction block at the prestigious Gooding and Company Monterey auction event, with an estimate of $2.5 to $3 million.
Comment
Despite its long life, the car still carries the strong design of the company. “The seller from the Road & Track listing originally asked $100,000 for the car. According to Perkins, that would be approximately $440,000 in today’s dollars, and if the car was to sell for the same amount now, the return on investment would be an astonishing 438 percent if purchased in 1976.”