1966 Ford GT40 Mk I Unearthed/Barn Find

[100]

Every gearhead dreams of a barn find; a rare, seemingly-unattainable car tucked away like a lost artifact in an Indiana Jones movie. Barn finds aren't at all common, but they do occur from time to time.
Case in point is this 1966 Ford GT40 Mark I literally found under a pile of junk in a Southern California garage, according to The Gentleman Racer (via Motor Trend).
The car--chassis number P/1067--was the last 1966 GT40 produced, but it was sold in 1967 with a rear clamshell from the updated Mark II. Just three cars were produced this way, and this one is believed to be the only one with its original rear clamshell.
The car was raced until 1977, when an engine failure put it out of commission. The owner reportedly started to repair the GT40, but never completed the job due to an injury. A wooden frame was built around the car and covered with junk, entombing it for decades.
At least the GT40 remained largely intact during its long time in storage. Most critical components were apparently recovered with the car, including the engine and a set of extra tires.
The GT40 is most famous as the car developed by Ford to beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, after Enzo Ferrari changed his mind about selling his company to the Blue Oval. The story--and the model's on-track success--makes the GT40 highly prized by today's collectors.
Once restored, chassis P/1067 will certainly look good on the lawn at a concours, or possibly doing a few laps in historic racing.
1966-ford-gt40-mark-i-found-in-southern-california-garage_100457750_l.jpg

[C.J]

Only in America...

[Torquemonster06]

What a great find.

[Sybil TF]

Some people have all the luck......

[Late Apex]

That is really incredible and by far my favorite sports race car. In fact Im trying to work a deal now on a Superformance GT40 replica, brand new, in Gulf livery colors. The originals are WAY up there in price and should be. Thanks for posting.

[slysnake]

Jeezzzzz, wish I could find something like that.

[VYPR BYT]

That is really incredible and by far my favorite sports race car. In fact Im trying to work a deal now on a Superformance GT40 replica, brand new, in Gulf livery colors. The originals are WAY up there in price and should be. Thanks for posting.

Good choice. I'm eyeing the exact same thing. Love the gulf scheme. They are a "continuation series" so you get your car in the gt40 registry since 2/3 of the car is interchangeable with the original.
I actually prefer the mk1 over the mk2 stance.

Heck of a barn find... one of the best ever imho

[BlknBlu]

I am amazed that so many barn finds still exist. I used to think these were goingto dry up in the 80's but it appears they will never end.

another cool find.

Bruce