The 1966 Ford GT40 MkII Factory Lightweight has a classic price tag, reaching 325 billion VND.
Vietnam.vn EN
23/01/2026 05:17:00
This 1966 Ford GT40 MkII Factory Lightweight has never been raced or restored, and someone has agreed to pay a staggering $12.375 million to own it.
The 1966 Ford GT40 MkII Factory Lightweight, arguably the most original car
in the world , also became one of the most expensive cars auctioned at Mecum last weekend. A buyer paid an astonishing $12,375,000, placing it in the top three most expensive cars sold at the event.
Looking like a model strutting down the red carpet at the Osceola Heritage Park, the Ford GT40 MkII Factory Lightweight is actually an exception in a ranking dominated by Ferraris. Based on the XGT-3 chassis, it is also the most expensive of its kind ever sold at public auction.
It has to rank behind its twin brother, a 1966 GT40 MkII P/1032 chassis, which sold for $13,205,000 at RM Sotheby's Moda Miami auction in 2025. The most expensive GT40 was one of the impressive Fords that competed in the 1966 Le Mans 24-Hour race.
The GT40 auctioned at Mecum is one of only 11 GT40 MkIIs ever produced (only 9 survive today!) and one of only 3 lightweight models ever built by the factory. The car has never been restored, never raced, and has never had its original factory configuration altered.
Furthermore, it is widely regarded as the most original GT40 ever created, a fact confirmed by GT40 historian Ronnie Spain. The car, essentially a "unicorn" (without precedent), was owned by Ford until 1977, when it was first auctioned.
It subsequently changed hands four more times, eventually settling in temperature-controlled garages owned by Miles Collier, Fred Simeone, and later the Shelby American Collection. When auctioned at Mecum, it was part of the Apex Collection.
Constructed from aluminum, fiberglass, and steel by Alan Mann Racing for Ford, the lightweight GT40 is a masterpiece of engineering. It retains the original bodywork, the factory's slim steel chassis, and the lightweight aluminum roof.
The 427-cubic-inch V8 engine remains under the hood, paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The car also features adjustable suspension, a feature typically found only on lightweight models, as well as unique Le Mans-style fuel tanks.
Two more Ford GT40s were put up for sale at Kissimmee last weekend, but neither sold. One of them was a 1965 Ford GT40 MkI, chassis number P/1018, one of only 48 race cars ever produced and one of only two known to have been driven by Carroll Shelby himself. The car was expected to fetch around $6 million, but the bidding stopped at $5.3 million.
The other one, a 1969 Ford GT40 MkIII, chassis P1/1085, is believed to be the last of 13 unfinished GT40 chassis. This chassis was stored in a warehouse until 2009, when it was finally completed. The owner rejected the highest bid of $2.2 million and took his GT40 home.
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Video : Auction of a 1966 Ford GT40 MkII Factory Lightweight.
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