2017 'GT40' Tribute

This tribute is in the No. 9 livery of 1968 winners of Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi, racing for the J.W. Automotive Gulf-Oil Ford GT40 team.

It is the second GT40 tribute built by the vendor, and he’s put all the lessons learned from his first Tornado-based attempt (which now lives in New Zealand and has been photographed with the New Zealand Prime Minister and Nick Mason, no less) into this really very well-engineered and built example.

If you look at the car’s V5 you will see that it has passed its IVA test and is listed as being a ‘Ledcarr AS 40’.

‘Ledcarr’ is a portmanteau word combining the names of the vendor and his friend who contributed towards the cost and effort of the build.

Built from 2013 until 2017, when it was first registered, the owner has done pretty much all of the heavy lifting himself.

This includes fabricating the chassis from steel tube, developing an inboard suspension system to allow for shorter wishbones, and the repositioning of the offset pedal-box - a major bugbear with the original cars.

He also fabricated a sloping floor that allowed him to place the seats at a lower position in the cabin, freeing up some valuable headroom.

Last, but not least, he moved the gearshift to the right-hand sill, the petrol tank to the left-hand sill, and replaced the original central handbrake with a Mercedes-style foot actuated system.

All of this was done with a view to making the car more comfortable and usable.

It was always the vendor’s aim to create a car for a spirited Sunday afternoon run-out, not a bare-bones, no-compromise race weapon.

That said, the next owner could quite easily sharpen the car’s track focus if so desired.

The slick 5-speed manual gearbox comes from Audi and the ample power comes courtesy of a rebuilt 1979 Ford 302cu V8. The parts for this were provided by Ford racing specialists, Real Steel of Uxbridge, who also dated it for the IVA test. The vendor then built the engine himself.

The GRP body was supplied by the highly respected firm of GT40 replica builders, Southern GT.

It was featured in Complete Kit Car magazine back in 2020, a copy of which comes with the car.

We have driven this car and can safely say that it turns heads like nothing else wherever it goes.

We can also attest to the integrity of its engineering.

It starts, goes and stops with plenty of enthusiasm and is surprisingly benign - and rewarding - to drive.

We drove it on a couple of the hottest days of the year and can therefore vouch for its conceptual authenticity to the original car, not least in the sense that we were more than a little moist and red in the face by the time we got back to base and had to be dragged out of it in a soggy heap by colleagues.

The vendor tells us that on days such as these (which remain fairly unusual in the UK), he simply removes the windows and lets some fresh air in.

The car is a well-engineered and thought-out tribute to a true automotive legend and the quality of the build reflects the fact that the vendor has spent many years restoring classics and building kit cars.

He is currently elbows-deep in an Ultima RS build and is only selling the GT because he feels the car deserves more use.

This car has covered just 800 miles since being registered.

The stunning Southern GT bodywork is in very good overall condition and the Gulf livery, as ever, offers up a pretty much unbeatable colour palette and aesthetic.

The fat wheels are in fine fettle, as are the tyres.

The car’s exterior trim, badging, decals, clips and other fixtures and fittings are all decent.

Given the size of the clamshell panels and the relative geometric complexity of the guillotine doors, the panel gaps and shut-lines are remarkably crisp and consistent, and are a testament to the engineering and construction skills of the vendor.

The bodywork is GRP, so there are no dents, creases or dinks of any significance to report anywhere that we can see.

There are a couple of hairline cracks to the GRP inside the nearside headlamp cowling and a few spidery scratches on top of the passenger door card.

There’s a small patch of discolouration on top of the n/s/f wing on the clamshell, plus a few hairline cracks at the base of the nearside wing mirror.

There are one or two spots of overspray and bubbles of paint on top of the guillotine roof section of the driver’s door.

The inside, too, has the look and feel of a solid and well-engineered piece of construction.

The vendor’s noble efforts to create a little more space have worked well and it was possible for our 6ft+ writer and photographer to climb aboard and drive away without needing to book in with the company chiropractor upon their return to HQ.

It is, as you might expect, fairly functional and Spartan inside.

That said, the quilted leather bucket seats are perfectly supportive and comfortable.

The black carpets have held up very well, although the carpeted trim above the dashboard could do with a fresh application of glue to tack it back down into place.

The steering wheel, gear lever, dashboard and instruments all look very purposeful and in keeping with the spirit of the vehicle.

The vendor tells us that, as far as he’s aware, every button, switch, toggle and knob does what it's supposed to do.

The engine bay looks clean, dry and everything appears to be in its right and proper place although.

The vendor tells us that the car holds its engine temperature in check very well (even in heavy traffic or on super-hot days).

The undersides of the car seem to have plenty of structural integrity.

The car’s MoT is valid until 22nd of June 2024.

Unsurprisingly, it has been serviced, maintained, fettled and tweaked as necessary by the man who built it.

Well, it looks fabulous – no arguments there.

While it isn’t a real GT40 - which is a shame - it also won’t come with that car’s astronomical price tag.

And, for most people with normal-sized wallets and bank accounts, that’s a good thing.

There are, of course, all manner of GT40 replicas, copies, tributes, homages, etc, out there.

Some are decidedly better than others.

This, we’re confident, is one of the good ones.

We’re happy to offer this splendid vehicle for auction with an estimate of £40,000 - £45,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.