1965 Ford GT Competition Prototype Roadster
In the lead-up to Ford's four straight Le Mans victories between 1966 and 1969, five open-top prototypes were built. This example, GT/109, is the only one to compete in the endurance race. Powered by a Shelby Cobra-spec 289 cubic-inch V8 and three inches longer than its stablemates, it started the 1965 race but was retired after just a dozen laps due to a broken gearbox. Following the race, it was shipped to Kar Kraft in Michigan for use in GT40 production, shipped to Shelby American in Los Angeles for a full rebuild, then shipped back to Ford where it sat, mothballed, until 1968 when Hollywood stuntman Dean Jeffries offered to buy it. Ford's head of racing, Jacques Passino, let Jeffries have it; he owned it until his death in 2013, when it was acquired by auction guru Dana Mecum. Following a concours-quality restoration, it has been shown at several prestigious events and presents in the same quality now. It will be sold as part of Mecum's Indy 2025 sale in May.