Jacky Ickx 1966 Ford GT40

This car (Chassis GT40P/1001) is a “production” GT40. It was the New York motor show car in 1965 and on display at the worlds fair that same year. The car was in Shelby team colours whilst a display car.

She is  the only car to be supplied twice, Once to the Ford Motor Company in 1965  and to Ford Advance Vehicles in Slough UK, in 1966. Chassis P/1001 was flown from New York to Ford Advanced Vehicles in the UK, and was prepared to race in the Le Mans 24Hr that year.

GT40P/1000 was the first  chassis tub made, but it was used as a design buck/body frame for  the subsequent cars. It was used nearly a year later as a race car. But it was destroyed in a fatal accident in its first outing whilst on loan to Camstock Racing at Sebring.

This and two other GT40’s were entered by the Essex wire racing team, a company owned by Ford at the time. These cars raced along side the Ford entered GT40’s that year at Le Mans.  A young rookie, Jackie Ickx, was chosen to make his debut at Le Mans in the car P/1001.

Chassis 1001 raced from 1966- 1969 and had some prominent names of the time behind the wheel therefore giving P/1001  the record of being most campaigned GT40 in this time. I went on to race into the seventies by private owners in the UK and South Africa.

Present Day

The car has been owed by its current owner since the mid 1980’s and is rarely seen. So SBR being chosen to recommission the car and get her ready for the Goodwood Festival of speed by the owner was quite a special honour indeed. Having vast experience with historic Racing cars, and the GT40 model, this was quite straight forward task for the SBR team.

Over the Goodwood weekend we had Micheal O’brien, one of Mclaren GT’s test drivers, and multi 24 Hour Le Mans winner David Brabham drive the car up the hill.

Friend of SBR, David Brabham, didn’t know he would be driving the car at the weekend, but when SBR’s Owner Stuart Bitmead asked if he could he jumped at the chance!

A great weekend was had by the SBR team and all involved. Hopefully we will get P/1001 out at some more events so more people can see this very special car!