1966 FORD GT40 p/1016

Details & History

P/1016 was dispatched by Ford Advanced Vehicles on September 11th, 1965 and in January of the following year the car was completed at Shelby American’s plant in Venice, California. It was painted in Ford’s familiar racing colors of white with a matte black hood. In mid-January the car was tested at Sebring by Ken Miles and Ronnie Bucknum,

After the Sebring test the GT40 was shipped to Holman-Moody, where many of the Shelby modifications were either changed or upgraded. Specifically, in preparation for the Daytona 24-Hour Continental on February 5th, the car was equipped with heavy-duty dampers and springs, adjustable anti-roll bars, and a special right-hand-side torsion bar to counteract body roll during high-speed banking on left turns (an insight gained from years of NASCAR experience). Racing as #87, the GT40 was equipped with an experimental two-speed automatic transaxle and driven by Bucknum and the legendary Richie Ginther. Despite a romp by other GT40s in the race, P/1016 experienced problems with the new gearbox and was forced to retire after 13 hours.

For the Sebring 12 Hours on March 26th, the Mk II was painted Kandy Gold, the iconic color that it authentically wears today. Fitted with brake-cooling ‘snorkel’ air intakes mounted on the tail section, and running as #4, the GT40 was driven to a 12th-place finish by Bucknum and the great A.J. Foyt. This marked the final time the experimental PowerShift transmission was used and the car was subsequently fitted with the regular T-44 manual transaxle (in preparation for Le Mans). Chassis P/1016 is believed to be the only GT40 Mk II that ever raced with the unusual PowerShift automatic transaxle.

For the 1966 Le Mans race on June 18th and 19th, GT40 P/1016 received final preparations on the day before the race, including the addition of matte Day-Glo pink highlights on the nose and flanks of its Kandy Gold bodywork. In qualifying and practice the car was the fastest of Holman-Moody’s three entries, earning a 9th-place position on the starting grid. The racing coupe finished 3rd overall at Le Mans driven by Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson.

On loan from the Miller Family Automobile Foundation.

Race History

1966 Race Season

DATE: 2/5/66

TRACK: Daytona

PLACE: DNF

DRIVER: Richie Ginther / Ronnie Bucknum

DATE: 3/26/66

TRACK: Sebring

PLACE: 12th Place

DRIVER: A.J. Foyt / Ronnie Bucknum

DATE: 6/18-19/66

TRACK: Le Mans

PLACE: 3rd Place

DRIVER: Ronnie Bucknum / Dick Hutcherson