Hemmings Find of the Day - 1969 Ford GT40

Provenance and pedigree are, of course, everything when considering a Ford GT40. Once you've determined that you want an actual GT40 - not a continuation car, not a replica, not a kit car - then you have to determine whether you want one originally built for the street or for competition, and if the latter, how much racing history it should have. This 1969 Ford GT40 for sale on Hemmings.com - a small-block coupe described as the last competition car built and the only one actually advertised for sale when new - benefits from race experience when new, a connection with the Fittipaldi family, a restoration to original specifications, and plenty of vintage racing experience. From the seller's description:

The chassis offered here, s/n P/1083, was sold new to Brazilian Sidney Cardoso of C.A.I. (Colegio Arte e Instrucao) Racing team in Rio de Janeiro. The car was the last true Competition coupe sold by Ford, and the only chassis number to have been advertised by the Works prior to delivery. As a late production example, this car benefited from all the development and knowledge gained from Ford's racing efforts to date, and it is therefore no surprise that it was equipped almost identically to the two-time Le Mans winning team car, s/n P/1075, with a 289 C.I.D. competition engine, Gurney-Weslake Mk. I heads, a ZF five-speed transaxle, and 10-inch front and 12-inch rear wheels. Having been tested at Thruxton in May of 1969 by David Hobbs, s/n P/1083 was painted Carnival Red and delivered to Brazil by boat in late 1969.

Raced under the banner of "Team C.A.I." until late 1970, and driven by Sidney Cardoso, this chassis proved successful right from the start, winning in its first outing in Rio de Janeiro, and accumulating several podium finishes during Cardoso's ownership.

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