Broken Dreams: Ford GT40 Roadster. Too Beautiful to Race

Normally, in the development of a high-performance car, designers build a chassis as rigid as possible, which usually results in coupes. This was not the case for Ford’s GT40 project, designed to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1965, at Ford Advanced Vehicles in England, 12 GT40 chassis were prepared, five of which were open-top versions with technical specifications guaranteeing sufficient rigidity despite lacking a roof.

The striking modernity of the Ford GT40 is even more evident in the open version, with a large rollbar providing additional body rigidity.

This showcases the broad spectrum of vehicles Ford initially developed for the Le Mans challenge. One of these roadsters, #GT/111, competed in both the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans and Targa Florio but faced misfortune: a gearbox failure at Le Mans while running third overall, and a crash at the Targa Florio.

This is the first GT40 Roadster built, used for promotional purposes. In the racing version, the nose was redesigned to improve front grip.

Following these two races, Ford shifted its focus entirely to closed models. However, the Roadster model wasn’t completely abandoned. The remaining versions in circulation feature different front designs due to Ford’s attempts to improve high-speed grip. Of the five built, the first, painted white, toured the USA for promotional purposes and participated in demonstration laps at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, driven by World Champion Jim Clark.

The GT40 Roadster’s interior reflects its racing essence, with a wraparound seat and comprehensive instrumentation. Note the right-mounted gearbox on the sill.

The GT40 #GT/111, initially white, was painted green for the Targa Florio. Ford’s decision to abandon open-top versions was confirmed by converting the other three spider chassis into coupe configurations.

The dual identity of the GT40/GT111 prototype: at Le Mans 1965, it wore number 15 and was driven by Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier in American white and blue livery.

The value of the two surviving roadsters is incredibly high. This is evidenced by the sale of chassis #GT/108 at the Monterey auction in 2019, where it fetched $7,650,000 (€6,599,922).

Same car, different livery: The GT111 at the 1965 Targa Florio, wearing number 194 and driven by Bob Bondurant and John Whitmore, painted green to emphasize its English roots.