A rare 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype managed to sell for $6.3 million at the RM Auctions sale during the ongoing Monterey Car Week 2014. Pre-auction estimates indicated the rare racer would sell for between $8 and $10 million and while it fell short of that mark, the car certainly attracted a lot of attention.
As many know, the Ford GT40 was conceived as a way of exacting revenge against Enzo Ferrari. Rumour spread in the early 1960′s that Enzo Ferrari was keen to sell the Italian company to Henry Ford. Ford spent several million dollars trying to make the deal go through, only to have Enzo Ferrari cut the deal at a late stage when a dispute over Indianapolis 500 reared its head.
Eager to get back at Enzo, Henry Ford commissioned the Ford GT40 project in an attempt to muscle into the 24 Hours of Le Mans scene, a race which Ferrari had dominated in those years. Built and designed in England, the Ford GT40 was a massive success, clinching four consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans victories.
This particular one is number 108 and was built for Shelby American. It features a 289-cubic inch 4.7-litre V8 engine with a four-speed sequential transmission.
Earlier this year, a 1964 Ford GT40 Prototype sold for $7.1 million at auction.
