In concert with Ford Division General Manager Lee Iacocca, the decision was made to purchase Ferrari. The problem was that Ford had never gone road racing in Europe, had never made a sports car and did not have the facility to build one. The Deuce made the decision that Ford was going to build its first sports car, go road racing in Europe and win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford was in the process of introducing the Total Performance Program that would lead to a wildly successful dual program birthing incredible performance cars on both the street and race track-in other words, “Win on Sunday sell on Monday.” Fords were winning in NASCAR, drag racing and in sports-car racing with Ford-powered Shelby Cobras. The well-known tale about the genesis of the Ford GT program is that Henry Ford II, known popularly as “The Deuce,” thought he had a deal with Enzo Ferrari to purchase the famous Italian automaker in 1963. This Pebble Beach award-winning gem is the product of a meticulous three-year mechanical and cosmetic restoration that was completed in 2016. The sole open-cockpit GT to ever compete in the French classic, this GT Competition Prototype Roadster is a forerunner to all of the glory that Ford garnered in its historic run to four consecutive overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 through 1969. This stunning 1965 Ford GT Competition Prototype Roadster GT/109 was driven in the 1965 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans by legendary French racers Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier. The vehicle will be on-site at the Kissimmee auction for inspection and purchase for the duration of the event, January 6-16, and purchase arrangements can be made directly with on-site representatives of the Mecum Gallery Exposition. A 10% buyer premium applies. This vehicle will be offered as part of the Mecum Gallery Exposition-an exposition sale that will be held separate from, but in conjunction with, Mecum Kissimmee 2022. Ownership history includes: Ford/Shelby, Dean Jeffries and Dana Mecum.Currently equipped with the HiPo 289 gifted from Shelby to Jeffries.2nd in Class at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, finished 2nd to the 1966 Le Mans Winner.
MG MIDGET GT LEGENDS MOD PROFESSIONAL
Professional restoration by Harley Cluxton III to concours standards in the original Le Mans livery.Featured in a 1983 video by Armour Production.Acquired from Ford in 1968 by Dean Jeffries, who kept the car until 2013.Sent to Kar Kraft to be used as a development vehicle for the J-Car, Kar Kraft's automatic transmission, - Ford's Weber-carburetor four-can Indy motor, various other engine configurations and brakes applications.Shipped back to Shelby American with a work order to 'rebuild after Le Mans'.
MG MIDGET GT LEGENDS MOD DRIVERS
Entered at Le Mans in 1965 by Ford of France with drivers Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier.The only Roadster with Le Mans racing history.Only 5 Roadsters were built by Ford Advanced Vehicles in England, 1 of 2 surviving examples today.
MG MIDGET GT LEGENDS MOD MOD
the mod is linked to GTC-TC-76 class and the BMW CSL. Richard and Lawrie Hickman, who co drove Richards Lotus in 1981 agree that the Esprit was fabulous to drive but was underpowered against the factory turbocharged Group 5 cars running in the same class from Lancia, BMW and Ford which had over 400 hp available! Over the following two years Richards Lotus made at least seven further starts in World Championship and German Championship events recording a best 7th place finish in the 1981 German Championship round at Zolder. During the race Richard and David Mercer only had to finish to win the class but distributor problems saw the car retire. At Silverstone the Esprit qualified 3rd in class behind the debuting Lancia Beta Montecarlo turbo and an older BMW 320i. The Polaroof Morfe Racing Lotus Esprit first appeared at the Dijon 6 hours in April 1979 qualifying first in class ahead of a Fiat X1/9 and BMW 320i, but was the first of the three to retire from the race with engine maladies. In 1979, Richard Jenvey announced that he would be competing in the 2 litre / 122 cui division of the Group 5 World Manufacturers championship. The original body shell was then sold on which helped cover "a fair fraction" of the costs of building the car which ended up right on the minimum weight limit. The team retained most of the original Lotus backbone chassis and built a monocoque around it effectively turning the Lotus backbone chassis into a passenger. With a group of enthusiastic amateurs he set about building his Group 5 Lotus Esprit in 1978. Richard Jenvey made a name for himself driving modified sports cars including a supercharged MG Midget in ’73 and a Lotus Elan from ’74 to ’75 winning the 1975 Modsports Championship.