We went to dinner last night for our anniversary at the Glass Onion restaurant near Asheville. I was feeling pretty proud of my new MINI date cruiser until I got there and saw a red Ford GT40 parked across the street. Can you tell if it's the real thing? It had a 1965 NC plate.... I posted a couple more pictures on my blog... let me know what you think. :drool There will always be something faster and more expensive, but who cares when you're having this much fun! (Our meal was fantastic!)
If your MINI has to showed up then it a great car to do it. I can't wait to see Ford's rumored next GT to LeMans racing with
IF it's a real GT40, I'd like to shake the owner's hand because he's doing what he should be doing with his car...driving it. If it's a kit (there are a few that are actually very well done), I'd still like to shake his/her hand because it's still good to see cars being driven...except for Priuses, Fiats, and stupid hybrids or electric cars for which I have less than no use for.
They kind of made them during that time period. The ones they made then were a completely different animal than the one in the picture. Both are gorgeous, but I'd be willing to bet Dave.0's Hot Wheels collection the one in the picture is a kit based off the real GT40 of the 60's. The "newer" GT40 has a much more aggressive roofline, front side markers, scuttles, more pronounced nose, bigger fender/wheel arches,and side scoops that are larger than the original, among other changes to include a newer powerplant and updated interior. Either way, I couldn't afford to play.
The "new" ones listed for between 150,000-180,000 and they actually had a hard time selling them all. Now they sell for almost twice that. One sold recently at Barrett-Jackson for close to 300,000. I'm no expert on the GT40's so I can't say if it is real or not. There were variations of the real one as is the case with the kit cars.. Some had the "Gurney" bubble top for helmet clearance some didn't, etc etc... Either way I'm glad to see it's on the road and not just sitting in the garage..
I was perusing DuPont Registry (I read that when I want a dose of reality as far as things I'll never be able to afford), and I was seeing them go for well into the $300k mark. I know that people were buying them to store away as a collectible, but if you want to collect something, collect compliments from people on the road who like your car, not dust from your storage facility while your car rots away.
No doubt. While I like watching some of the high end auctions I kinda hate seeing all the Hot Rods that are sold that have never really been enjoyed other then a conversation piece sitting in the garage..
As far as I can tell, in NC if it has 1965 plates, it's a 1965 car. Replicas and specialty vehicles are registered as the year manufactured. Don't think they were making replicas in '65. I could be and am often wrong though.
It works both ways--MINI's can humble Ford GT's (and Boss's): [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5kZpDGfqbM"]Mini Cooper, GT, Boss - YouTube[/ame]
I think the key takeaway is that there can be joy in every type of vehicle (except those I mentioned above. They're neither joyous nor entertaining. They're just a rolling obstacle). Variety is the spice of life as they say, and I kind of think of myself as a poor Jay Leno; I have a love for the automobile in general, but not the money to support that love.
The MINI didn't humble those cars. The MINIs driver did. Put that skill level driver in those other cars & the story would have been very different. Great video, loved it.