The GT40 legend began with the MkI, and this example, numbered P/1018, is one of only 48 GT40 MkI racing coupes produced. Outstanding provenance for P/1018 begins with its delivery, appropriately enough, to Shelby American for show and demonstration purposes on November 9, 1965, as a race car prepared in “show trim.” Retained by Shelby American until 1968, P/1018 is one of only two GT40s known to have been driven in period by Carroll Shelby, per noted Ford GT40 marque expert and historian Ronnie Spain. Retaining its original chassis, P/1018 is noted as being the first GT40 MkI built with a three-hole chassis panel that became a mainstay engineering feature in later-production examples. Equipped with a 289 CI Ford V-8 engine and ZF 5-speed manual transaxle, P/1018 was air-freighted to Shelby’s Los Angeles premises. Despite having received some minor damage to the frontal bodywork in transit, P/1018 was immediately ushered to Shelby’s facilities, where it was used in a promotional photo shoot with Carroll Shelby. After the minor nose damage was repaired, P/1018 was first shown publicly at the November 1965 Seattle Auto Show, followed by appearances at the San Francisco and Portland auto shows. On January 6, 1966, Carroll Shelby drove P/1018 at the opening of a new section of the Santa Monica Freeway, with Miss Santa Monica occupying the passenger seat. Subsequently, P/1018 was leased to MGM Studios and driven by Bob Bondurant for camera-testing laps at Riverside circuit as part of the technical preparations for the filming of John Frankenheimer’s iconic racing film “Grand Prix,” which starred actor James Garner and included the era’s top international racing drivers. Afterwards, the car was painted dark blue before embarking on a two-year showroom tour. Among its many high-profile appearances, P/1018 made a cameo appearance in an episode of NBC’s hit spy fiction series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” titled “The Thrush Roulette Affair.” The well-traveled GT40 was also displayed in 1967 at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium for the High Performance and Custom Trade Show, which later evolved into the world-renowned Specialty Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (SEMA) show, now held annually in Las Vegas. Other show venues for P/1018 included The New York Coliseum Exhibition and the Dallas HemisFair. Sold to its first private owner, Ervin Conciatu, in November 1968, P/1018 was later acquired by racing driver Brian O’Neil, who had the car painted black with gold stripes. Other noted owner/collectors include David Piper of Windlesham, Surrey, England, who outfitted the vehicle with a Gurney Weslake- head Ford V-8 engine, BRM wheels and new Gulf Oil livery. A gentleman racing driver in period, Piper is well-known as a high-end collector and one of the drivers who participated in filming for Steve McQueen’s iconic 1971 racing film “Le Mans.” Laurie O’Neill of Auburn, New South Wales, Australia, joined the ownership roster for P/1018 in March 1973. In August 1982, P/1018 was involved in a collision during a demonstration run at the Amaroo Park circuit that resulted in damage to several body panels and a B-pillar. Within his dossier compiled on P/1018, GT40 expert Ronnie Spain stated that the crash at Amaroo was, “… of next to no consequence to the chassis.” O’Neill commissioned Page One Pty, Ltd. to perform a restoration of P/1018 in the prior Gulf colors, which was completed in 1985. Mechanical sorting was performed in the mid-1990s by former Shelby American Inc. (SAI) GT40 mechanic John Collins. In 2001, the GT40 was acquired by three-time FIA Group C2 Endurance Racing World Champion Ray Bellm, who had the car refinished in dark blue, as it was painted during the later 1960s. Competition-prepped by U.K. specialists Lanzante Limited, P/1018 was campaigned successfully by Bellm across Europe over the next seven years, with multiple appearances in the Goodwood Revival’s Whitsun Trophy race, including a 2007 win. The stellar competition record of P/1018 also includes 11 wins from 13 starts at the Le Mans Classic. This GT40 MkI even appeared on an episode of the wildly popular TV series “Top Gear” that aired in November 2004, when it was test-driven against a Noble GT at the Dunsfold Airfield and won by 0.06 seconds. While still maintained by Lanzante Limited, P/1018 was acquired by Chris Wilson in 2009, and it continued to compete with yearly appearances at the BRDC Members’ Meeting and at such top-level vintage racing events including the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, Tour Auto events and Daytona Classic 24 Hours, to name a few. Displayed at the U.K.’s 2022 Heveningham Concours, P/1018 also appropriately participated in the Carroll Shelby Parade at the 2023 Goodwood Revival. Repainted in 2024 in its original, as-delivered Maroon exterior finish, P/1018 is an important early example of the GT40’s victorious heritage and cutting-edge racing engineering, with its Weber twin-choke carburetors, equal-length “Bundle-of- Snakes” exhaust, 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, Borrani wire wheels and Goodyear tires. Other features of P/1018 include racing mirrors, Willans safety harnesses and the battery location behind a panel in the passenger footwell, a correct feature for race-spec GT40s. Exceptional documentation accompanies the offering of GT40 MkI P/1018, including several binders containing a copy of the Ford Advanced Vehicles production sheet, historic racing records and log books, receipts, catalogs and other records, plus a comprehensive, photo-rich historical dossier comprising nearly 300 pages, carefully compiled by GT40 expert/historian Ronnie Spain. Steeped in history with direct ties to Carroll Shelby and a proven and prolific winner in vintage racing, P/1018 celebrates Ford Motor Company’s iron determination to prevail in international competition and confirmed the wisdom of the time-honored “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” mantra.
