Vehicle Description
Chassis No. P/1069
19th June 1966 - arguably the most important date in the history of
Ford's motorsport program. At 4:00 p.m., at the start/finish line
of the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in France, Henry Ford II
witnessed history being made as three of his GT40s finished the
famous 24-hour race in positions 1, 2, and 3, finally unseating his
archrival Enzo Ferrari from his Le Mans dominance, after a failed
buyout, years of engineering developments, and millions of dollars
invested in revenge. Ford, of course, repeated its victory twice
more, cementing the GT40's place in the history books as one of the
greatest sports racing cars ever built - a sophisticated,
mid-engined, and stunningly beautiful piece of V8 American
machinery, which benefited from an international cadre of racers,
engineers, and businessmen, from Carroll Shelby's crew in
California to the Holman-Moody boys in North Carolina, Ford
Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England, and of course Lee Iacocca and
"The Deuce" himself back home in the Motor City.
FIA homologation requirements stipulated that 50 units be built.
While many cars were built to racing specification and sold to
privateers, others were outfitted as road cars and sold through
distributors. The specification of these road cars differed only
minorly from the racing cars and 31 Mark I examples were built in
total.
The early history of this particular road-going GT40 is
particularly fascinating, outlined in extensive detail by marque
specialist Ronnie Spain, whose report remains on file for this car
and is available for review by interested potential bidders. It
begins on 16 February 1967, one week before its scheduled delivery
date, and its assignment by Ford to GT40 Mark I's "Promotion and
Disposal Program," and as such, it was expected to be a corporate
car used for press purposes. In fact, on paper, it was one of only
six cars within that program consigned to Shelby American, but as
history has shown, plans changed and the car ultimately never ended
up arriving Stateside until much later in its history.
Built to the order of Ford Division in Dearborn, Michigan, the car
was delivered 24 February, finished in striking Opalescent Silver
Blue over black, outfitted with the customary Mark I 289 small
block, wearing Weber carburetors and Borrani wire wheels, with the
"Production Car Record Sheet" indicated its intended loan to
"Performance Cars." Performance Cars was the dealership of the
Geneva-born Georges Filipinetti, whose Scuderia Filipinetti was
perhaps best known for its success in sports car racing,
particularly with Jo Siffert, and which was undoubtedly the most
prominent of the Swiss privateer teams. Shortly after its arrival
in Switzerland, the car was prominently displayed at the Geneva
Salon Auto in March, refinished in Metallic Borneo Green, as per
period photographs on file, which corroborate the car's amended
second Production Car Record.
By this time, of course, Filipinetti's renown had grown
tremendously as the racing team had not only won the Targa Florio
the year before in a Porsche 906 but also finished an outstanding
third at the Monza 1,000 kilometer race with one of the privateer
Ford GT40s. Interestingly, P/1069 remained in Switzerland with
Filipinetti for virtually the rest of the year, and perhaps even
longer, caught up in ongoing disputes over accounts between the
Swiss privateers and John Wyer Automotive Engineering in the UK,
who were eagerly demanding the car's return for use in Ford's press
efforts. As a result, the car has been frequently referred to as
the infamous "Hostage Car" by historians, in reference to this
period of dispute between Wyer and Filipinetti.
By early 1968, P/1069, now UK-based and seemingly returned to JWA,
was road registered on number "AHK 940F", which it of course wears
to this day. In the months that followed, the car appeared in Motor
(as part of a clothing promotion, no less!) and twice in Autocar
(December 1968 and January 1969), in which the writer recounted his
experience getting a flat tire on the British motorway and having
to ring the RAC from a callbox to say, "My Ford GT40 has a flat
tyre and no jack!"
Later in 1969, P/1069 was displayed once more at the Geneva Auto
Salon, now wearing a Goodyear logo on its doors before, quite
interestingly, photos on file reveal the car on its way to a car
show in Finland by spring. Summer that year saw the car back in the
UK, driven on track by journalist John Evans during a press day at
Mallory Park, before it was pictured in July with none other than
two-time Formula One World Champion Graham Hill, who demonstrated
the car for an executive. In fact, photographs on file depict
Graham, dapper as always, climbing into P/1069, before what was
surely a very spirited run!
By this time, of course, the GT40 program had clinched its fourth
and final overall victory at Le Mans, weeks earlier, and these
American sports racing cars were becoming the stuff of legends. And
it's therefore no surprise that the first private owner of record
for P/1069 was Anthony Bamford, who was then in his mid-20s, on his
way to becoming the Chairman of J.C. Bamford Excavators a few
shorts years later. Mr. Bamford's car collection has of course
included many of the world's most important sports and racing cars
over the years, but this was the first of several GT40s in his
ownership, refinished in yellow during that time by racing driver
Willie Green, to reflect the JCB company colors.
Through Mr. Green, the car ended up with Kevin McDonald, a UK-based
plastics manufacturer. Now fitted with mag wheels, one particularly
thrilling story recounted in Mr. Spain's history involves Green
himself, who was assigned to bring P/1069 to the Monaco Grand Prix
in 1971. After having the car flown to Northern France and clearing
customs, Green drove the car a total distance of 735 miles to Monte
Carlo at an average speed of just over 110 mph, parking the car to
great excitement in Casino Square.
Every owner hereafter and through the late 1990s is documented,
known, and all UK-based. In 1971, Willie Green was in fact the
car's actual owner, before its acquisition by James Robinson and
then Adrian Hamilton, in whose ownership it participated in
Fordsport Day at Brands Hatch. By 1972, the car had about 16,000
miles, finished first in the speed trials at Brighton, and was
featured the following year in Motor, topping the acceleration
tables during a test, recording a zero-to-sixty time of only four
seconds and hitting 161.8 mph at the end of the straight.
It was in that year that P/1069 was traded for Bruce Ropner's
Jaguar D-Type. Unfortunately, as Mr. Ropner headed north toward his
home in North Yorkshire, an improperly closed filler cap resulted
in a fire that damaged the front of the car alongside the road,
after fuel made contact with hot brakes. After an insurance
settlement and an ownership change, the car's ultimate acquisition
by Martin Johnson resulted in the commissioning of the car's
required restoration in the late 1970s by GT40 specialist John
Etheridge. Refinished in its JCB yellow livery, it was featured in
two further magazine stories and photographed in period by Mr.
Spain himself in Birmingham.
By the late 1990s, the car arrived Stateside, owned by Barney
Hallingby of Connecticut, and shown at the 25th Shelby American
Automobile Club convention at Lime Rock Park. Its time in the U.S.,
however, was not long lived as it returned to the UK, now in the
ownership of racing driver and car distributor Frank Sytner, after
which a period of Frenc...for more information please contact the
seller.
