The first Ford GT40 Roadster could sell for around $10 million

One of the coolest Ford GT40s that wasn’t used as a Le Mans racecar is going up for auction at Monterey Car Week. It’s the first of five GT40 Roadster Prototypes ever built, and it’s estimated that it’ll rake in between $7 and $9 million dollars on the auction block. RM Sotheby’s is hosting the auction on August 16 this year, the Friday before the Pebble Beach Concours.

There were 12 GT40 prototypes in total, seven being hardtops and the other five Roadsters. The car appears today as it did when it was originally built — it went through a full restoration in 1983 and also received a “substantial mechanical freshening” in 2003, both times making sure it didn’t veer from its original state. Prior to all of that, it was driven by folks like Carroll Shelby, Ken Miles and Jim Clark. The auction house says it’s the only Roadster that has marched through the decades without deviating from its original form and appearance, except for restorative efforts.

This machine never went toe-to-toe with Ferrari, but it was used as a test car to develop the Mark IV cars that eventually claimed victory at Le Mans. It’s been to vintage racing events and numerous high-profile car shows, including Pebble Beach just last year. If history and lineage means something to you, this car is also said to be the only GT40 that Henry Ford II ever stepped foot into — Carroll Shelby was behind the wheel for that drive.

All the history is great stuff, but we’re rather entranced by just looking at the thing in photos. Any GT40 is stunning stuff, and this Roadster is no different.