SPA Modeler

SHELBY MODIFIED GT40S

The wolf pack.

Close... no cigar, though.

The RLMS 76 just might work...

Mk. II



Nobody knows quite how, but sometime during mid-June 1967, this Mk II-B GT40, which had started life as No. P/1031, a 7-liter Mk II GT40 built at Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England, mysteriously changed identity and became No. P/1047.

“There were a lot of shenanigans with the GT40s,” recalls a Ford employee. “At the start of each season a carnet had to be raised for each car and a large bond deposited to ensure its appearance on the start line. In the event of an accident that made it impossible to repair a car before it was due to race again, it was less expensive to switch chassis plates with another car than forfeit the money that had been deposited…”

The original set of British built cars were shipped to Shelby in the U.S. unwashed as an “F-U” I suppose I should write “as an oversight” from Ford Advanced/Lola in the U.K. The British designer and team members were out and Shelby and the Americans were now onboard; and millions of GBP were now USD. Although the car was designed by Lola using a Ford V8, it would now be redesigned, widened and strengthened for an even larger V8. Shelby took the cars, washed them, and set about changing their shape in wind tunnel tests.



The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars—the MkI, MkII, MkIII, and MkV (with the exception of the MkIV, which were numbered J1-J12)—were numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, and thus officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname."

Varoooom!!!!

Originally the kit was up for auction. I bid and lost out at the last moment. Someone really wanted it so badly. I held mixed feelings—I felt the loss of the auction at first most deeply but I also knew someone out there really wanted the kit, so that was good. A week later, the seller contacted me because the buyer reneged on the sale so he offered me a second chance.

There are a lot of good kits out there in other scales—including a rare Trumpeter version in 1/12 which would be a significant addition to a collection—but I wasn’t collecting, I was building, and I felt I could bring some ingeniously crafted moves to upgrade the exterior. Drill and glue bolts for the distinctive driving lights, for example. Better wheels.

speedgraflex wrote:

Close... no cigar, though.

"Gulf Blue" by Zero paints ??
Too Blueish ?



- Kari

Today I thought I must find your car build, Kari to find the name of this company, “Zero Paints!” Quelle coincidence! I think you are right that it is too blue. Those first Fords from their Advanced Workshop may have been painted in Renault colors. Please tell me what you think!



I believe this early light blue was a popular team color. I did check Zero Paints but the only Renault that is light blue is the Fornula race car cigarette company Mild Seven blue which appears darker than the blue used by Gulf on the GT40.