This Ford GT 40 Mk IV is different to the original in many ways. Firstly, it was constructed in Detroit instead of in the UK. It was built to the FIA’s new Appendix J regulations that allowed it to enter into Le Mans, which gave it the nickname “J-car”. A space-age aluminium honeycomb material was used for the body to make it lighter and stronger.

12 GT 40 Mk IV chassis were built in 1967, and what we see here, J-12, was the last. It was initially created as one of the two spare cars for Le Mans, with just the chassis and no bodywork. The chassis was sold to a private owner as bare tub, and it wasn’t until 1987 and some changes in ownership that the car was completed. The nose of J-12 was from an original spare tub from Ford, while the tail was reproduced with aluminium. A correct 427 V8 Ford engine with 525 horsepower and correct 4-speed manual transmission were fitted to the car.

In 2015 the FIA ​​awarded the car a Historic Technical Passport that allows it to race in FIA-sanctioned historic motorsports events. This historical piece will be auctioned off by Gooding & Company at Amelia Island next month.