Auto dealership mogul Jim Click is considered as one of the foremost collector of classic Ford race cars->ke148 in the world. The man’s collection runs deep, but as is often the case of collectors, there comes a point in time where they have to let go of some of their prized babies. That time has come for Click, who is now in the process of auctioning off some prized Ford->ke31 racers that make up his Ford Performance Collection. The cars will go under the hammer during RM Sotheby’s auction->ke2845 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance->ke2839 this August.

The most notable of these cars – and the most expensive – is a 1966 Ford GT40, chassis number P/1061, that’s one of only 31 Mk 1 GT40s Ford ever created. It doesn’t have the same racing pedigree as another GT40 dominating the headlines these days, like the Le Mans-->ke1591winning P/1046, but it does hold the distinction of being just one of seven GT40s Ford held on to for promotional use. That said, Click himself has raced P/1061 a handful of times since taking ownership of the car in 1992. Some 24 years later, Click is ready to part ways with his black and yellow GT40 with the car expected to go for at least $4 million.

A pair of Shelby 289 Cobras->ke2263 are also headed to the RM Sotheby’s auction. One of these Cobras, CSX 2473, has quite a history of its own, having been owned by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) legend Dan Roberts. It also has one of the richest racing careers of any 289 Competition Cobras, a fact not lost on RM Sotheby’s car specialist Alexander Weaver, who described CSX 2473 as “one of the most successful 289 Competition Cobras in history.” Considering it’s status, it’s safe to say that its estimated sale price of $2.6 million is well deserved. The other 289 Cobra, CSX 2326, has been under the ownership of Click on three separate occasions, most recently in 2007. It’s not expected to sell as high as CSX 2473, but with an estimate price of $1.4 million, it’s still tipped to easily eclipse the seven-figure mark.

Other classics from Click’s Ford Performance Collection will join these three jewels in Pebble Beach, including a pair of Kar Kraft Ford Mustang Boss 302 Trans Am Race Cars and a 1966 Shelby GT350, chassis number SFM 6S2363.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Why it matters

A lot of people will be breaking the bank to get a hold of these classic Ford race cars. That’s the obvious part of this auction. Less obvious is the actual amounts that these cars will go for. As is the case with auctions of this variety, classics like the Ford GT40 tend to shoot way past their estimated price because collectors will be fighting tooth and nail just to end up on the winning side. Do I see that happening with the GT40? Yes, I do.

As far as the two 289 Cobras are concerned, I’m less certain of that, partly because there are two of them. Granted, one is valued higher than the other, but in the end, collectors effectively have two shots at taking home either one of them, making the sales price prediction a little trickier. It’s the same thing with the two Kraft Ford Mustang Boss 302 Trans Am race cars. One is a 1969 model, chassis number 9F0M148628, that has ties to a lot of American racing luminaries, including Dan Gurney, Pete Revson, George Follmer, and A.J. Foyt. The other one is a 1970 model, ID no. 1-1971, that scored an impressive third place finish in the 1971 racing season. Both cars have merit and history on their side, and the expected $1 to $1.3 million price tag on each of them could vary depending on what a collector deems more important to him.

The last car that Click will be auctioning off is a 1966 Shelby GT350, chassis no. SFM 6S2363. It’s the cheapest of the lot with an estimated price of $450,000. Compared to the five other cars that Click is sending to the RM Sotheby’s auction, this is the bargain of the lot.

If all cars at least hit the top-end of their expected prices, Click stands to earn a whopping $11.3 million. Not bad for a day at the auction.

Ford GT40

Read our full review of the Ford GT40 here.