It’s hard to believe that is was 50 years ago that the Gulf Ford GT40 P/1075 took the chequered flag in the Le Mans 24 Hour race for the second year in a row. This remarkably successful racing car had had already taken championship wins at Brands Hatch, Spa, Watkins Glen and Sebring. This made it the most successful of all the 132 or so GT40s and of course a highly desirable sports racing car.
To celebrate this remarkable achievement, Superformance, Safir GT40 and Gulf have teamed up to create a small run of just 50 toolroom copies and tribute editions of the car. Each of the GT40s will come complete with a GT40 P/1000 Series chassis number, a limited-edition Gulf GT40 guitar and a plaque listing 25 of the employees that were key to making the P/1075’s the unmatched success it was.
The Tribute editions come with the wide body and wheels plus the iconic Gulf livery of the P/1075, and are to be honest, outwardly indistinguishable from the original car. There is a choice of either a Roush-built Ford V8 engine of 5.0 litres (302ci) up to a 7.0 litre (427ci) version, plus the option of a Quaife RFQ or ZF RBT transaxle.
The full road-going specification of the Tribute edition comes with air-conditioning and prices start from £185,000 including VAT.
The Toolroom copies are incredible Superformance versions of the P/1075 and replicate it both aesthetically and mechanically down to the finest detail. Owners can specify them for general track day use or to complete with HTP FIA-approval, making them eligible for historic racing. Prices for the Toolroom copies start at £280,000 including VAT.
Superformance is also offering for the first time, HTP FIA-eligible toolroom copies of the pre-‘66 MKI GT40 race cars with prices starting from £250,000.
Oliver Hulme, who is Managing Director of Le Mans Coupes Ltd, said: “We’ve had a chance to make our own comparison of the fabulous P/1075 continuation cars with the genuine article, which featured in the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed event, and are very excited by what we are able to offer. Only one person can own the original and that’s unlikely to come to market anytime soon and will be way beyond the pocket of 99.9 percent of enthusiasts if and when it does. Under the circumstances these limited-edition Superformance recreations have to be a serious consideration and amazing value for money. With the much vaunted ‘Ford V Ferrari’ film due out in November, interest in GT40s is the highest it’s been for years and climbing.”
Examples of both versions of the GT40 are available to order from Le Mans Coupes Ltd, the official UK importer. For more information please visit: www.lemanscoupes.com
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man Behind The Wheel, a professional photographer and former saloon car racing driver.
Photographs courtesy of Le Mans Coupes Ltd
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