1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype

Offered here is an exceptionally rare Ford GT40 Roadster—an opportunity to acquire a significant piece of Ford racing history. This car represents an extraordinary collector’s centerpiece that can also be enjoyed as a vintage racer.   
     

 For questions or to arrange an in-person viewing, contact:     Jonas | 310-600-1182   

  

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Mechanical & Component Highlights

• All original, period-correct GT Roadster components
    
• All components are NOS or have been refurbished
    
• 289 Ford V-8 (1965 date code); short block believed to have been supplied by Carroll Shelby
    
• Engine has only dyno time since completion — dyno’d at 400 HP
    
• ZF 5-speed manual transaxle, from the original parts set
    
• Bundle of Snakes exhaust
    
• Four Weber 48 IDA carburetors
    
• Magnesium knock-off wheels, believed to have been supplied by Holman-Moody / Lee Holman
    
• The tub also conforms to FAV Mk I Roadster specifications, including correct wheelbase and bulkhead geometry
    
• The chassis is consistent with 1964–65 FAV construction practices
    
• Many spares included
  

  

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The GT Roadster Program

GT Roadster prototypes were developed alongside the Ford GT40 program during a highly collaborative era in American motorsport. The effort involved Ford Motor Company, Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV), Kar Kraft, Holman-Moody, Shelby American, Eric Broadley, Abbey Panels, and others. The GT Roadster served as an engineering testbed in the campaign to beat Ferrari, used as a mobile lab to study the aerodynamic and cooling effects of a convertible platform.   

• Design: Open cockpit, significantly shorter windscreen, and a 289-cubic-inch V8 engine
    
• Production: Often referred to as prototypes, these were part of a very small pre-production series—only about four or five are believed to have been created
  

  

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Dean Jeffries and GT Roadster GT/109

During the early to mid-1960s, Dean Jeffries worked closely with Ford Motor Company and maintained relationships within Ford Special Projects.  He was near the center of the GT40 program at a time when prototypes, spares, and unused cars were treated as working assets rather than collectibles.  Jeffries later recounted acquiring GT Roadster chassis GT/109 along with a substantial stockpile of spare parts—a story now recognized as one of the best-known chapters in GT40 history.   
  

After the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT/109 was returned to Shelby American, repaired, and later sent to Kar Kraft for J-Car development. It ultimately returned to Ford in Michigan, where it sat alongside other retired prototypes and experimental vehicles.   

As documented by Tom Cotter, Jeffries encountered the GT/109 roadster while assisting A. J. Foyt at Ford’s wind tunnel near Detroit. Missing its engine and transmission, the car—along with a wide assortment of spare components—was made available to Jeffries by Jacques Passino.   

GT/109 was restored and completed in 2003 and later appeared at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion during Ford’s centennial celebration.  Often described by Jeffries as his “favorite toy,” GT/109 remained in his ownership until his passing in 2013.   

  

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Provenance

This Roadster was built using original, period-correct GT Roadster parts, many of which trace back to the parts collection assembled when GT/109 was discovered at Ford by Dean Jeffries. Dean and friends—including Carroll Shelby, Lee Holman, A. J. Foyt, Red Hardin,  and others—continued to collect GT Roadster and GT40 components over the years in preparation for restoration.   

As many of the individuals directly involved with this Roadster’s early history are no longer with us,  what is known today comes from long-standing accounts, research, and conversations with those familiar with this car, GT/109, and with GT40 experts and historians.   

Over the years, multiple stories have been shared regarding the car’s early identity. One account suggests that two incomplete GT Roadsters  accompanied the original parts collected from Ford at the time GT/109 was recovered, and that this Roadster may have been associated with a specific chassis, including references to chassis 111. Another story suggests the car may have been used as a tire-test vehicle during the period. These accounts are presented as part of the car’s long-standing narrative, without assertion or conclusion.   

Although no factory documentation has surfaced to assign a chassis number, leading GT40 experts do not dispute the authenticity, specification, or period-correct construction of this Roadster.   

  

Serious inquiries are invited. International buyers are welcome.