The GT 40 was Henry Ford II’s weapon for an assault on Le Mans, after he was rebuffed by Enzo Ferrari in an attempt to buy that Italian company. If he couldn’t own Ferrari, he reasoned, at least he could humiliate the Italians on the track. In the end, he did.

The car was totally different from any Ford ever built. Constructed in England by Eric Broadley’s Lola Cars, it stood just 40-inches high (from which it took its name), and was of mid-engine design. Initially a 260-cid Ford V-8 was used, although this later grew to 289 and even 427. The chassis was built by Abbey Panels, with fiberglass body by Fibre Glass Engineering of Farnham, Surrey. In 1966, Ford dominated LeMans with a 1-2-3 finish. In all, 107 Ford GT 40s were built between 1964 and 1969.

Icons like the GT 40 inevitably create demand for “consumer” versions, and so it was with this vehicle. Many have made replica GT 40s, among the best being GT Developments, Ltd., of Manchester and Poole, England.

The GT Developments GT 40s began as kits developed by Kenneth V. Attwell, a former Ford engineer. Roger Attaway of GT Developments had been building front and rear sections for Attwell’s chassis, and this led to building their own bodies and eventually the whole car, as a turn-key vehicle for customers.

This GT 40 replica is a low-mileage example in very good condition. White with blue racing stripes, it has a pewter leather interior. The seats have brass grommets for ventilation, and show a modicum of use. The dashboard matches in material and color, and has unbranded modern instruments. The Cobra-variant engine drives through a five-speed manual gearbox. A belly pan envelopes the undercarriage. Brakes are power discs all around, and cast aluminum wheels mount BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires.

Short of a real Ford GT 40, this is as close a substitute as one can get.