Superformance GT40 MKI Gulf Racing Heritage

ABOUT THE FORD GT40 AND THE SUPERFORMANCE CONTINUATION

There is no more important race car in American motorsport history than the Ford GT40. The story begins with Henry Ford II's failed attempt to purchase Ferrari in the early 1960s, and the decision that followed — to beat Enzo Ferrari at his own race. Ford partnered with Lola Cars engineer Eric Broadley and brought in former Aston Martin team manager John Wyer alongside Ford engineer Roy Lunn to design a car that would do exactly that. The result, prepared at Ford Advanced Vehicles in the United Kingdom, was the GT40 — named for its extraordinary height of just 40 inches. The original cars used an advanced monocoque chassis constructed by Abbey Panels, powered first by the 289 Ford V8, and later by a variety of increasingly powerful Ford engines as the program matured.

After two painful failures at Le Mans in 1964 and 1965, Ford returned in 1966 with the American-developed MKII models fitted with the 427 FE motor and the Ford-built T44 transaxle. The result was one of the most significant moments in motorsport history — a 1-2-3 sweep over Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that ended Ferrari's stranglehold on the race and made American racing history in front of the entire world. The GT40 MKI then went further still: chassis number 1075 won Le Mans outright in both 1968 and 1969 for privateer teams, becoming the only racing car in the event's history to win in consecutive years. The GT40 has won more prestigious road racing events than any other car ever built.

The Superformance GT40 is not a replica, a kit car, or a tribute. It is a genuine licensed continuation of the original, built under authorization from Safir GT40 Spares LLC — the owners of the GT40 trademark — and carries an authentic GT40-P chassis number. Every example is listed in both the Shelby Car World Registry and the official GT40 registry. John Sadler of Safir GT40 Spares described the program simply: "The registry will reflect these cars as newly manufactured variants of the original GT40. In essence, a true continuation series."

Superformance's engineers built this car to exacting standards — over two-thirds of the parts in the rolling chassis are directly interchangeable with an original car, including the monocoque-style chassis itself. That chassis is an exact replication of the original unibody structure down to the pressed steel roof spider, constructed from electro-galvanized sheet steel for long-term protection against corrosion. At over 12,000 pounds per degree of torsional stiffness, it is stiffer than any other chassis on the market, made up of more than 244 laser cut and bent or pressed parts.

THE ENGINE — ROUSH 342SR

The heart of this particular car is a Roush Industries 342SR crate engine, ordered specifically for the GT40 application with the full GT40 oil pan package and purpose-built to fit within the MKI's engine bay. The 342SR is a 342 cubic inch small block Ford V8 built around a Dart Sportsman 4-bolt main block with aluminum cylinder heads, and it is no ordinary assembled engine. This unit features Roush/AFR CNC ported aluminum cylinder heads on an Edelbrock dual plane intake, a hydraulic roller cam with roller rockers, a mechanical fuel pump, 4340 forged crankshaft and H-beam connecting rods, forged pistons, and a 770 CFM carburetor with billet air cleaner and billet fuel filters. The engine was assembled, machined, and dynamometer tested by Roush before delivery, carrying a 2-year/24,000-mile limited warranty for non-race applications.

The dyno sheet on file — tested at Roush Industries on January 28, 2010 — shows this engine producing 435 horsepower at the flywheel and over 395 lb-ft of torque across a broad mid-range power band. These are genuine, documented figures pulled from a real dyno run, not estimates. The engine was ordered with the Twisted Wedge cam upgrade, BGT aluminum flywheel, and GT40-specific 10-spline clutch and pressure plate to ensure the complete drivetrain package is purpose-built for this application.

In a car weighing just 2,400 pounds with a 40-inch roofline and rear-biased weight distribution, 435 horsepower delivers an experience that simply cannot be replicated in any modern sports car regardless of price.

THIS CAR

This Superformance GT40 MKI is presented in the Gulf Racing heritage livery — the most iconic motorsport color scheme ever applied to a race car. The combination of Gulf Light Blue with the bold orange stripe, carried over the nose, body, and engine lid in the same proportions used on the cars that raced at Le Mans and Sebring during the GT40's glory years, is immediately and unmistakably correct. This is not a generic livery or a loose interpretation — it is the Heritage pattern as offered by Superformance for the MKI body style specifically, the same scheme that caused crowds at Le Mans to stop and stare in 1968 and 1969. The BRM-style wheels in matching orange center finish the look authentically.

The MKI body is the smoother, lower, more organic of the two GT40 body styles — with lower and wider front fenders, inverted side air scoops, integrated double hood scoops, and the built-in rear lip spoiler that gives the car its seamless, wind-tunnel-derived profile. The MKI is the body style of chassis number 1075, the two-time consecutive Le Mans winner, and it is the variant that Gulf Oil chose to paint in their colors when commissioning the Wyer Automotive entry that defined the GT40's legacy.

The interior is laid out exactly as the original race cars: original-style seats finished in Alcantara with silver rivets, a racing four-point harness, Smith gauges across the racing-style dashboard, a center-tunnel shifter and handbrake, and a removable steering wheel on the rack-and-pinion column for easy cockpit access. Air conditioning is present, discreetly packaged under the front bonnet to preserve the original appearance. Twin stainless steel baffled fuel tanks, Monza-style locking fuel filler caps, and Wilwood four-piston calipers on vented disc brakes front and rear complete the standard specification. The suspension is fully independent at all four corners — unequal-length A-arms with coil-over shocks and anti-roll bar at the front, trailing arms with unequal-length lateral arms and anti-roll bar at the rear — replicating the original race car layout exactly.

The car is currently located in London, England and is registered there for road use. UK registration makes this vehicle immediately road legal and eligible for use in the United Kingdom as well as many countries across Europe, including Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and beyond through standard European import procedures. For a European collector or enthusiast, this removes the most significant logistical barrier to GT40 ownership.

VEHICLE DETAILS

Make / Model: Superformance GT40 MKI — Continuation Chassis: GT40-P Series (Authentic Continuation Chassis Number) Registry: Shelby World Registry | Official GT40 Registry Livery: Gulf Racing Heritage — Light Blue / Orange Drive: Right-Hand Drive Engine: Roush 342SR — 342 Cubic Inches / Small Block Ford V8 Power: 435 HP at Flywheel (Documented Roush Dyno Sheet on File) Torque: 395+ lb-ft (Documented) Engine Build: Dart Sportsman 4-Bolt Block, Aluminum Heads, Hydraulic Roller Cam, Forged Crank & Rods, Forged Pistons, 770 CFM Carb, Billet Components Cam Upgrade: Twisted Wedge Flywheel: BGT Aluminum 157 Clutch: GT40 Specific 10-Spline Clutch & Pressure Plate Engine Warranty: 2 Year / 24,000 Mile (Non-Race) Chassis: Original-Style Steel Monocoque | 12,000+ lbs/deg Torsional Stiffness | 244+ Laser-Cut Parts Suspension: Fully Independent Front and Rear | Bilstein Coil-Over Shocks Brakes: Wilwood 4-Piston Calipers | Four-Wheel Vented Disc Weight: 2,400 lbs Wheelbase: 95 inches Overall Length: 163 inches Overall Height: 40 inches Body Style: MKI — Lower Fenders, Integrated Scoops, BRM Style Wheels, Built-In Rear Spoiler Interior: Alcantara Seats with Silver Rivets | Smith Gauges | 4-Point Harness | Removable Steering Wheel Fuel System: Twin Stainless Steel Baffled Tanks | Monza-Style Locking Filler Caps Air Conditioning: Yes (concealed under front bonnet) Current Location: London, England Registration: UK Registered — Road Legal in United Kingdom and Eligible for Many European Countries

IMPORTANT NOTICE — INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTION

This vehicle is currently located and registered in London, England. Prospective buyers outside the United Kingdom should independently verify import requirements, duties, and registration procedures applicable to their specific country or state prior to bidding. The seller is happy to assist with logistical information to the best of their ability, but responsibility for all import, customs, and registration compliance rests solely with the buyer.