With Miss Santa Monica riding shotgun, Carroll Shelby drove this Ford GT40 on a newly opened section of the Santa Monica freeway on January 6, 1966. It was just one of two examples of the Ford GT40 he would drive.
Ford delivered the car to Shelby American for show and demonstration purposes. The car sustained minor nose damage while in transit, but Carroll Shelby still appeared with it in a promotional photo shoot.
Later, the Ford was leased to MGM and driven by Bob Bondurant for camera testing, preparing for the filming of the 1966 movie “Grand Prix.” Its screen time didn’t end there. On TV, it made a cameo in the “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and appeared in a November 2004 episode of “Top Gear.” Away from the screen, the GT40 won 11 of its 13 Le Mans Classic starts.
Find this 1965 Ford GT40 MkI Coupe for auction at Mecum.
