LMC is very proud to offer for sale this 1966 Ford GT40 MkII Factory Lightweight
Few machines have ever captured the spirit of endurance racing and national pride like Ford’s GT40 Mk II. Conceived to dethrone Ferrari at Le Mans, the Mk II stands as the ultimate evolution of Ford’s “Total Performance” era — the car that cemented America’s dominance in international motorsport. Among this elite lineage, chassis XGT-3 is singular: one of only nine surviving Mk II GT40s, one of just three built with a factory lightweight chassis, and recognized by marque historian Ronnie Spain as the most original Mk II in existence.
The Mk II’s story is woven into one of racing’s greatest rivalries. After Ferrari’s sixth consecutive Le Mans victory in 1965, Ford intensified its assault. Working alongside Holman-Moody, Alan Mann Racing, and Shelby American, the team developed the new 427 cu in V-8-powered Mk II, refining the aerodynamics, cooling, and reliability that would carry Ford to its historic 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966. The Mk II wasn’t just a race car—it was a declaration of engineering prowess, determination, and American pride.
XGT-3 was initially ordered by Alan Mann racing and then constructed by Shelby American at the legendary LAX facility, where Carroll Shelby’s team refined the GT40 into the formidable Le Mans winner. When the chassis/body was ordered by FAV (Ford Advanced Vehicles) from Abbey Panels, they specified that the body panels and chassis be made of an experimental lightweight gauge metal .Only three examples were ever constructed with the lightweight chassis, making XGT-3 the ultimate lightweight evolution of the MKII. Much like the famed alloy-bodied Ferraris of the same era, this lightweight construction represents a significant distinction in both rarity and value, as the MKII Lightweight stands as one of the most formidable configurations ever produced.
As noted by GT40 historian Ronnie Spain, XGT-3 retains its complete original body and chassis, with its factory thin-gauge steel structure, lightweight aluminum roof, and adjustable suspension—the latter unique to the lightweight chassis cars. As Ronnie Spain famously wrote:
“There are other Mark IIs which have been fabulously restored to original configuration, but only XGT-3 is in that original configuration still!”
Built with factory Le Mans fuel crossover tanks, XGT-3 represents the purest surviving form of Shelby’s ultimate GT40 development. Originally retained by Ford Motor Company until 1977, XGT-3 has passed through only four private owners since, each a careful custodian of this irreplaceable artifact.
Of the nine surviving Mk IIs, most of which reside in the world’s most prestigious collections—including those of Miles Collier, Fred Simeone, and the Shelby American Collection—making it very unlikely another Mk II Lightweight will come to market for decades.
XGT-3 stands as the definitive reference example of the GT40 Mk II — unrestored, uncompromised, and unequaled. For collectors and historians alike, it represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire the most original surviving Shelby-built GT40 Mk II, a car that embodies the very moment when America conquered Le Mans.