How Much Is A Ford GT40 Mk III Worth & How Many Were Made?

In the automotive racing arena, Ford's game-changing GT40 is about as iconic as a single car can be. The vehicle's development and on-track feats have, of course, been well-documented over the years and even served as inspiration for the Oscar-nominated 2019 drama "Ford v Ferrari." If you're unfamiliar with the story, the short version is that Ford developed the GT40 with legendary auto designer Caroll Shelby for the sole purpose of beating Scuderia Ferrari at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans road race — which it famously did in 1966.

Ford continued the GT40 racing program for the better part of the ensuing decade, developing various builds of its celebrated racer through 1969. After the GT40 dethroned Ferrari at Le Mans, Ford even produced a limited, street-legal run of the racer, dubbed the MK III. Yes, getting the MK III street legal meant making a few changes from the MK I, with the modified two-door coupe boasting a longer tail, functional windows, and raised twin headlights, among other features.

The MK III also got a slightly downgraded engine, though it was still pushing a recorded 306 horsepower. As the MK III is the only street-ready model GT40, you'd be correct in thinking it's worth a few bucks on the open market these days. Per Hagerty, a 1967 MK III in good condition could fetch around $3.6 million in the right atmosphere. Understandably, the price only goes up from there, depending on the vehicle's condition and mileage.   

While MK IIIs are potentially worth a pretty penny in the right sales environment, their on-track counterparts are sometimes worth far more, with one recently selling through Mecum for almost $8 million and the model featured in the Steve McQueen starring film "Le Mans" going for $11 million. Like its MK I counterparts, part of the reason for the MK III's sky-high resale value is because of the vehicle's scarcity on the market. 

We noted earlier that the MK III saw a very limited production run from Ford, who were essentially using the street-legal GT40 as a promotional vehicle in the US and UK. In the end, only seven Ford GT40 MK III's actually ever rolled off the production line. Of those seven MK IIIs, it's been reported that Ford kept four of them back for promotional use. That means that only three of the GT40 MK IIIs manufactured by Ford were actually sold new to customers. 

If you're curious about what those customers actually paid to get behind the wheel of a GT40 MK III, Ford was reportedly selling the street-legal version of its legendary race car for $18,500 in 1967. That sum is, surprisingly, about $2,000 higher than the price of an actual MK II race car. The price is high enough by today's monetary standards either way, with that seemingly reasonable $18,500 translating to more than $174,500. Whatever the case, it was no doubt worth the cost to any Ford enthusiasts who ponied up for the chance to hit the streets in a bonafide GT40. 

[Featured image by MrWalkr via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]