There aren’t many 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 racing variant. When it comes to the track-focused versions of the Ford GT40, scant few were built, as one would imagine, though from time to time, we do see one surface for sale at auction. Now, that’s set to be the case yet again, but this 1965 Ford GT40 Mk1 is a bit more special than one might think.
This 1965 Ford GT40 P/1018 is one of just 48 Mk1 race coupes produced, and it’s set to cross the block at Mecum’s 2026 Kissimmee, Florida auction in January. If that wasn’t enough to get collectors ready to shell out big bucks for it, this car is also reportedly one of just two GT40s known to have been driven by the legendary Carroll Shelby, too. It was originally delivered new to Shelby American for show and demonstration purposes, which is precisely where that happened.
Once this Ford GT40 arrived at its doorstep, Shelby American discovered that some nose damage had occurred during transit, but it immediately used the car in a promo photo shoot with Carroll Shelby himself, regardless. That damage was promptly repaired, and the special machine was present at various auto shows after that. Shelby American parted ways with the G40 in 1968, and it was leased to MGM Studios, driven by Bob Bondurant for camera test laps in preparation for filming of the movie “Grand Prix.”
This Ford GT40 has also appeared in the TV series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E,” and competed in a number of motorsports events, but it has also changed looks quite a few times over the years, being repainted in dark blue and later, a Gulf Oil livery. Today, it sports a relatively fresh coat of the original Maroon hue, and retains its original chassis. In fact, it was the first GT40 built with a three-hole chassis panel that later became the norm in regular production.
This GT40’s 289 cubic-inch Ford V8 and ZF five-speed manual transaxle were treated to a sorting in the mid-1990s, and after quite an extensive stint on the show circuit, this special machine is now looking for a new home. It’s difficult to guess how much it will hammer for, but we have to imagine that that figure will exceed the average person’s budget by a long shot, if nothing else.
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