Legendary 1965 Ford GT/109 Competition Prototype Roadster Heading To Auction

April 5, 2025 5:05 am

There are few vehicles on earth that command more attention – and money – than the legendary Ford GT40 at auction, whether we’re talking about the road-going version of that model or the full-blown racer. However, it isn’t every day that we see a Ford GT40 that competed in an equally iconic race – the 24 Hours of Le Mans – surface for sale, either. Soon, that will be the case, as this real-deal 1965 Ford GT/109 competition prototype racer is set to be auctioned off next month.

This 1965 Ford GT/109 racer is set to be auctioned off at Mecum’s upcoming Indy sale in May, and it was indeed present at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that same year, where it was driven by Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier. It’s the only Ford GT roadster to ever compete at Le Mans, in fact, and set the stage for The Blue Oval’s historic four consecutive overall victories there from 1966-1969. It was built by Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV) in Slough, England, and is one of just 12 prototypes produced by the automaker, as well as seven that competed at Le Mans – not to mention one of just four prototypes known to still exist today.

Historic documentation indicates that Ford GT/109 was a special-order chassis, and was supplied to Shelby in March 1965 to prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A Shelby American work order was opened that May to “perform necessary repairs and mods to GT/109.” Completed in June, GT/109 contains unique features such as Halibrand magnesium wheels, front corner air dams, a Cobra-spec 289 V8 engine mated to a ZF 5-speed gearbox, side-mounted engine oil radiators, and a removable rollover section.

The lightest of all six Ford GTs entered at Le Mans in 1965, car 109 tipped the scales at just 2,350 pounds, but wound up suffering a blown transmission just 11 laps into the race. It then lent its doors to another car that suffered some damage, at least, until it wound up retiring as well. From there, the car was sent back to Shelby American and rebuilt, then used as a developmental model for Kar Kraft, and it has been owned by several notable folks since then – Hollywood stuntman and California automotive customizer Dean Jeffries, Carroll Shelby, and Dana Mecum. Now, the historic ride is looking for a new home, but it certainly won’t be cheap to procure given its rarity and historical prominence.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.