1966 Ford GT40 Coupé
Registration no. JFL 97D
Chassis no. P/1042 (see text)

The result of a lifelong obsession with the legendary Ford GT40, this car represents a ten year crusade to give the owner a real example; having previously made do with high-quality replicas, he decided that only the real thing would suffice. To achieve this, a worldwide search was embarked upon, and all of those associated with GT40s - former mechanics, drivers, team managers, restorers, etc - were contacted to see if they had original parts they would be willing to sell. Where they could prove that the part they had was from one of the original GT40s, or failing that a new-old-stock component of identical specification, whatever price asked was paid.

This 1966 Ford GT40 has chassis number 'P/1042' and should not be confused with the original, 'GT40P/1042', which currently resides in Switzerland. Nevertheless, 'P/1042' has been accepted by the highly respected GT40 authority, Ronnie Spain (see report on file), and will appear in the next edition of his book on the marque in order to make the
distinction between the two cars clear for posterity. From the official records, it appears that 'P/1042' was imported into the UK in 1994.

Between 2007 and 2017 the car was rebuilt using some old chassis parts (see images on file), the remainder being reconstructed from period Ford/Lola blueprints by renowned GT40 specialist Classic Car Developments of New Zealand using an original body from the Essex Wire entry for the 1966 Le Mans 24-Hours Race (chassis number '1001'). Indeed, historical records show that this is the oldest surviving production GT40 body in the world. The car is now resplendent in the 1967 colours of the Sidney Taylor Racing Team, whose regular drivers at that time were Denny Hulme and Frank Gardner. Apart from Hulme and
Gardner, other notable racing drivers associated with the original car include Jackie Ickx, Jochen Neerpasch, David Hobbs, Mike Hailwood, Innes Ireland, and Charles Lucas.

During the course of this car's ten-year reconstruction, only period-correct original or new-old-stock (NOS) parts were fitted, most of which came with their own provenance, resulting in this GT40 exuding the charm and grace that only authentic original-spec cars possess. Indeed, apart from most of the monocoque, there are very few reproduction parts on the car. The short 289 GT40/HiPo engine (C5601/AE) was supplied by Mathwall Engineering and is an original GT40 unit. It has been refreshed and is to full 'historic' specification as raced in period.

The gearbox is a ZF Type-0 (serial number '215') and is documented as having been used at Le Mans. It is a period-correct GT40 box and has been rebuilt by Paul Fleming, as is the rest of the transmission including the NOS Metalastic
Rotoflex couplings and drive train.

The clutch is an original Borg & Beck twin-plate competition unit, while the braking system incorporates original Girling BR and CR
callipers, date coded 1964 and 1966 respectively, gripping pre-1966 specification solid discs. The correct quick-change disc pad retainers are present and the pads are old Ferodo ones. The suspension uprights are period magnesium units and the rest of the suspension is period-correct original, using 600lb and 550lb race springs.

Everything on 'P/1042' is either original, NOS, or period-correct, right down to the nylon racing hammocks and steering wheel, which were removed from mid-1960s Le Mans GT40s. Even the Smiths/GT40 bespoke instruments are period-correct items, restored by GT40 specialists. The four-point harnesses are original Irvin GQ type and have the correct identification stickers still in place after over 50 years! Certified Premier bag tanks are fitted, and as this is a 'crossover car' (Le Mans rules for the 1966 race) it has only one fuel filler cap with a pipe running under the seats to transfer fuel
from one side to the other.

The car is registered for road and race use and comes with a UK V5C Registration
Certificate; current historic-category MoT certificate; FIA/MSA Historic Technical Passport (valid until 31.12.2028); and RAC homologation papers. Hence this GT40 is eligible for all period-appropriate historic races throughout the world and has been invited to numerous prestigious motor sports events, including the Concours d'Élégance at the Le Mans Classic.

In support of this car's provenance, there is a large suitcase full of period memorabilia associated with it, including over 100 photographs, race programmes, old motoring magazines, driver's autographs, and photographs depicting the bodywork used in period, on the road, and during restoration. There is also a photographic record illustrating the enormous effort put into this GT40's reconstruction.

Lately, the car has been acknowledged by historic motor sport specialists as being one of the most 'original-spec' and 'authentic' GT40s around, because it has been reconstructed entirely to 1966 Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV) specification. A full list of all major parts and their provenance used in the car's reconstruction is available for inspection (recommended).

During 2017-2019, the car was developed by Simon Hadfield Motorsport and Wren
Classics, both of which are renowned historic racing engineers. It has appeared at the 2018 Silverstone Media Day and the Chateau Impney Hill Climb, together with circuit testing at the Castle Combe Autumn Classic.