Ford V Ferrari was a cinematic blockbuster that set out to tell the abridged tale of how an American car company took the fight to Ferrari in Europe, and came out the victor. Featuring big names like Matt Damon and Christian Bale, the automotive star of the show is the Ford GT40, the racecar that took Ford to four Le Mans victories in the 1960s. Obviously, the production needed a few stunt cars to shoot the film, and now, one of those very replica GT40s will be sold at the upcoming Mecum Auctions in Dallas this September.
As reported by Silodrome, the car in question played the role of Dan Gurney’s GT40 bearing the number 3, and was used in the Le Mans racing scene. The car was then subsequently restyled to play the role of the number 88 car as driven by William Wonder in the 24 Hours of Daytona. The stunt cars for the film were built by Race Car Replicas down in Michigan, and faithfully recreate the specifications of the 1966 GT40. Out of six GT40 stunt cars built for the production, this is the only one that was granted a VIN and also a title. So, yes, if you were wondering, you could theoretically register this GT40 and use it to do your grocery shopping.
The car looks resplendent in red, especially paired with the gold period-correct wheels. The rims are wrapped in those glorious 295/50R15 tires with the deliciously fat sidewalls, giving the car that vintage look that’s so completely different from today’s performance cars. It reportedly packs a 5.7-liter V8 paired with a 6-speed transaxle under the rear hatch, though details are scant and no photos are available showing the powerplant. Interestingly, the steering wheel is on the right-hand side, but the shifter is placed to the right of the driver as you’d typically see in a left-hand-drive car. This should make it less of a trial for those familiar with LHD cars to get comfortable.
As a stunt car, it’s not a certainty that any of the big on-screen names got behind the wheel of this car, and none are mentioned in the auction. Typically, movie productions will have specially designated “camera cars” that are the prettiest and most visually perfect for shooting the scenes with actors. Stunt cars are designated to handle all the real driving action, as you’d expect. This allows production to move more quickly, as there’s no need to repair cosmetic damage incurred during stunt driving to keep filming scenes with the actors.
