Ford only made 31 examples of the GT40 Mk I road car. Of them, only one is known as “The Hostage Car.” Let us explain.
The car earned its nickname from the time when it was delivered from the factory to the Swiss dealership Performance Cars, which was owned by Georges Filipinetti. The dealership displayed the GT40 at the Geneva Salon Auto in March 1967 and then kept it. Ford built this car for press purposes, and John Wyer Automotive Engineering in the U.K. wanted it just for that reason, but Filipinetti held onto the GT40 until 1968, when it finally reached JWA.
Once it reached the U.K., the GT40 started seeing time in the media. It appeared in “Motor” and twice in “Autocar.” It was photographed in-period during a demonstration with Formula 1 champion Graham Hill.
Find this 1967 Ford GT40 up for auction at Broad Arrow Auctions, with an estimated value of $4,000,000-$5,000,000.
