We are used to hearing about big lumps of money shifting at auctions for classic Ferraris and Bugattis, but that is not the case with American cars. Well, until now. A 1968 Ford GT40 in a magnificent Gulf livery sells at an RM Auctions event for the remarkable sum of $11 million USD. It is now officially the most expensive American car ever.
This Ford GT40 chassis number P/1074 has a glorious racing career including a win at 1967 Spa race with Jacky Ickx at the wheel, and another one at Monza. The car was born as a Mirage M.10003, but then converted to a GT40 to cope with FIA GT regulations. The car can be restored into its original state, even though it looks just magnificent in this config.
But even more significant than its racing heritage is this GT40’s role in Steve McQueen’s Le Mans film. That makes it a truly collectible item, even though they basically murdered it for the movie to make a camera car out of it, so it can film the star cars at high speed.
During its Le Mans racing years, this GT40 was fitted with a couple of different engines, but it’s now got a 4.7 liter Ford V8.
