Even rarer is a small museum able to compete with the big bidders for the purchase of these cars. The Larry Miller Museum succeeded, thus adding another Ford GT40 to its collection.
The Larry Miller Museum in Utah can now be proud to own another incredible and rare unit of the mythical Ford GT40. It all happened when Mecum Auctions auctioned a unit of the 1964 Ford GT40 (pictured), with the P-104 chassis.
The bid value reached an impressive 7 million dollars. Fortunately, not even the skyrocketing price stopped this extremely rare GT40 from joining the already vast family of five Ford GT40s owned by the Larry Miller Museum.
Greg Miller, son of Larry H. Miller – founder of the museum with the family name – explains that his father was always a Shelby Cobra and Ford GT40 enthusiast. Knowing his unbridled enthusiasm was shared by the general public, he decided to create the Larry Miller Museum, with a superb collection of Ford specimens.
The history of this Ford GT40 P-104 is extensive. Several drivers raced with him, including the unavoidable Phil Hill, one of those responsible for numerous victories for Ford and GT40 in the competition.
In its history, this Ford GT40 P-104 has participations in the 1965 Daytona Continental, in the 24H of Daytona and even «walked» in the Nürburgring. Improvements introduced by Carol Shelby to the P-103 and P-104 chassis made it possible to win the four-time champion title at Le Mans in the years 1966 to 1969.
But as mentioned, the Larry Miller Museum has more historical examples of the Ford GT40. Among them, a P-103 that is undergoing restoration work; a GT40 Mk II, with the P-105 chassis that is the car of the controversial 1966 one-two at Le Mans; a GT40 Mk IV J-4 winner of the Sebring 24H with the sponsorship of Gulf Oil; and also a GT40 Mk III on the road, a model with only six units produced.
Ford GT40
Among others, one of the great virtues of this Miller family collection is the fact that admission is free. Visitors can see some of the machines that have made more history in motorsport at no cost.
Stay with a video of the time, where the second oldest Ford GT40 that currently exists, gives us the splendor of its performance.