The 1960s was a tremendous era for endurance racing, one which saw automakers such as Ferrari,->ke252 Porsche,->ke1 Ford,->ke31 and Alpine->ke2338 battling for glory on tracks in Europe and North America. By 1965, Ferrari had dominated the world of GT racing with its light and powerful prototypes, but it all came to an abrupt end in 1966, when Ford took a shocking 1-2-3 win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.->ke1591 With Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon behind the wheel, the Ford GT40 MkII became the first American race car->ke148 to win at Le Mans.

Ford's win was that much more important considering how the GT40->ke411 was born. In 1963, Henry Ford II wanted to buy Ferrari and reportedly spent several million dollars in an audit of the Maranello brand. However, Ferrari unilaterally cut off talks at a late stage unhappy with the fact that Ford didn't want Enzo to remain the sole operator of the brand's motorsport division. Enraged, Henry asked his racing division to build a Ferrari-beater for GT racing. A year later, with help from Lola designer Eric Broadley, ex-Aston Martin->ke13 manager John Wyer, and Carroll Shelby, Ford rolled out the first GT40.

By 1970, the GT40 would go on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in a row under different configurations, giving Ford a place in the history books. Five decades have passed since the GT40 first triumphed at Le Mans, and a new GT is about to hit the same track to honor its iconic forerunner. At the same time, Shelby American,->ke81 Superformance, and Safir GT40 teamed up to build a new continuation GT40 based on the original, Le Mans-winning MkII.

"We’re very excited to release this special edition->ke2041 GT40 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Le Mans victory," said Superformance CEO, Lance Stander. "Having known Carroll Shelby personally, we know how proud he was of this victory and can’t think of a better way to commemorate it."

Continue reading to learn more about the Superformance 50th Anniversary GT40.

Exterior

Like most continuation cars built by Shelby, the GT40 MkII looks identical to the original race car that debuted in 1966. Every single detail that makes the GT40 MkII an iconic appearance is in there, including the muscular front fenders and rounded nose, the beefed-up haunches with the large cooling vents, the two scoops on the engine hood, the gold wheels, and even the Gurney bubble on top of the driver side door.

For the uninitiated, the said roof bubble was installed specifically for Dan Gurney, who, at 6'4", struggled to fit into the GT40's cockpit. The bubble was added to allow space for Gurney's helmet and became known as the Gurney bubble.

Getting back to our continuation of the GT40, the MkII shown in Superformance's official photos is an exact replica of the car that won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The livery was reproduced accordingly, with silver stripes and white No.2 roundels complementing the black paint. This combination goes by the name Bruce McLaren Edition and is one of three liveries available for the race car. The other two are Ken Miles Edition (blue with white stripes) and Dan Gurney Edition (red with white stripes).

Interior

Much like the exterior, the interior of the Superformance replica is also true to the original, even though some details have been altered. The seats no longer have the original bolstering, the center console has a different shape, and it seems that the A/C vents and the dashboard have received minor changes as well. On top of that, the GT40 MkII gained a few modern amenities as well, including a new air-conditioning system, a parking brake lever, an adjustable pedal box, and Carroll Shelby-branded floor mats.

Despite the changes, the replica looks pretty authentic and I have to give Superformance credit for keeping the right-hand drive and right-hand shift configuration of the original race car. I'm sure Carroll Shelby would approve.

Drivetrain

As with most continuation race cars, the GT40 doesn't come with an engine as standard, meaning customers will have to buy one separately. For this vehicle, Superformance recommends a specially prepared Shelby aluminum-block 427 FE V-8. Shelby already has a similar engine with 625 horsepower on offer, but there is no specific information on the bespoke unit that can be had in the GT40. Still, look for immense horsepower figures, premium components, and high-quality build.

The displacement of this engine is no surprise, as it matches that of the original GT40 MkII. Having used 4.7-liter engines in the MkI, Shelby switched to 7.0-liter units for the MkII. The powerplants were actually taken from the NASCAR-spec Ford Galaxie, but modified for road course use and bolted onto heavy-duty, four-speed transmissions. The original engine was rated at 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque and had a 7,400-rpm redline.

Along with the engine, the 50th Anniversary GT40 also received a number of modern racing parts, including Bilstein shocks with H&R springs and Wilwood brakes. Superformance says that these upgrades will make it just as comfortable on the street as it is on the track.

Prices

Pricing for the 50th Anniversary Shelby GT40 MkII starts from $169,995, according to Autoblog. The sticker doesn't include the drivetrain, which will cost another "$50,000 to $60,000." All told, be prepared to pay more than $220,000 for a complete car and make sure you fork out the dough really fast, as production will be limited to only 20 units. All vehicles will come with a special anniversary badge stating what number in the limited edition sequence it is, as well as a unique Shelby issued MSO and a place in the Shelby Registry. The continuation cars have been assigned a specially reserved block of GT40P serial numbers, starting with GT40 P 2050 to 2069.

Competition

Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe 50th Anniversary

The Cobra Daytona 50th Anniversary is another high-end replica built for vintage racing that celebrates one of America's most iconic track weapons. This specific model replicates chassis CSX2601, the No. 26 car that won at Reims with Bob Bondurant and Jo Schlesser behind the wheel to secure the 1965 World Sportscar Championship. Also known as "The Championship Coupe," the No. 26 is the most popular Cobra Daytona. Much like the GT40, the continuation Daytona can be equipped with a modern, aluminum-block rendition of the original engine. The V-8 mill displaces 4.7-liters and needs to be ordered separately from the Shelby Engine Company. Pricing for the 50th Anniversary Daytona Coupe is set at $179,995 for the fiberglass version and at $349,995 for the aluminum car, drivetrain not included. Only 50 units will be built.

Find out more about the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe 50th Anniversary here.

Conclusion

Although it had a rather short presence on the race track, the Ford GT40 MkII made a name for itself by becoming the first American race car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its importance to motorsport is also enhanced by the fact that it beat Ferrari, the dominating force of the 1960s, with an impressive 1-2-3 finish at Circuit de la Sarthe. When one of these cars hits the track during vintage racing events, they literally steal the show with their presence and unmistakable sound. But, like many vintage race cars with a glorious past, they're incredibly expensive, wearing million-dollar price tags that only wealthy collectors can afford. This anniversary replica wants to fix just that, giving gearheads a more affordable option that comes with its very own place in the GT40 registry. Granted, it's still quite expensive at more than $200K, but it's the cheapest way to gain access to a GT40 replica built by the same company that made the original car.