Almost like a blue Mauritius - the GT40 for the road
11/22/2023
There are said to be 31 (or 30) Ford GT40s built for use on normal roads. Some of them were already sold as part of the first "series" in 1966 and 1967, they were called Ford GT 40 Street (Mk1). They were very expensive, significantly more expensive than the racing cars that were built for use on closed tracks.
At the time, a street GT40 equipped with Borrani wheels cost 60,000 DM or 85,000 Swiss francs, making it the most expensive car on the market alongside the Mercedes-Benz 600 (and in retrospect probably still a good investment). As you can imagine, it was not a great sales success at the time and some of these road cars were soon converted for racing.
Only a few have survived in their original configuration, one of which will go under the hammer at Mecum's Kissimmee auction in Florida in January 2024.
The car was formerly owned by Umberto Maglioli, a three-time winner of the Targa Florio. He apparently only used it sporadically, as the speedometer of the right-hand drive and right-hand gearbox GT40 shows 13,442 miles.
RUF Automobiles has restored the almost-racing car and it still appears to correspond to the original configuration. The car is now coming onto the market for the first time in 30 years; there is no estimate yet. Determining the estimate is unlikely to be easy, as original road-going GT40s are rarely traded.
Similar to the "Blue Mauritius" stamp, original GT40 Street cars are very rare today. There are said to be 12 examples of the stamp left, and there won't be many more of the GT40. However, while the Blue Mauritius is valued at up to one million euros, the GT40 is likely to fetch several times that amount.
Nevertheless, someone will be able to fulfill their dream of owning an original GT40 in January 2024. We are already envious of him or her. If you're dreaming, you can find more pictures in higher resolution here.
P.S. The GT40 was auctioned on January 12, 2024 for USD 6.93 million .
