Although the Lamborghini Miura and De Tomaso Mangusta are frequently cited as pioneers of the large displacement mid-engined supercar, Ford started building GT40s for road use back in early 1965.

The decision to offer a 4.7-litre GT40 in road trim came about as Ford wanted to homologate the Mk1 into the Group 4 racing category which came into effect for 1966. At least 50 examples of a machine had to have been constructed to qualify and, as the market for race cars was limited, Ford elected to broaden the GT40’s appeal by introducing a more refined variant for street use.

Compared to the competition version, street GT40s typically came with softer suspension, more comfortable cockpits and de-tuned properly silenced engines although in reality any combination of parts could be ordered according to a customer’s requirements.