Nov 23

Nov 23 VIN: the Gulf Racing / Solar Productions Mirage M1 chassis M10003 / Ford GT40 chassis P/1074

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History of chassis M10003 / P/1074

Chassis M10003 started life as the last of three Mirage M1s built by John Wyer Automotive Engineering who had acquired the GT40 production rights from Ford. The M1 was a significantly modified iteration of the GT40 intended for the Group 4 Sports class but unfortunately the FIA refused its homologation application and the car was instead forced to run as a Group 6 Prototype.

M10003’s debut appearance came at the Spa 1000km which was the third outing for the M1 following previous outings at the Le Mans Test weekend and Monza 1000km. It was part of a two-car entry from the Gulf Oil-backed Mirage outfit in Belgium and allocated to drivers Jacky Ickx / Dick Thompson. Instead of the 5-litre units used previously M10003 ran a brand new 5.7-litre Holman Moody engine

Having qualified second, Ickx jumped the pole-starting Chaparral off the line and, in horribly wet conditions, M10003 delivered a crushing victory.

Following its successful maiden outing, M10003 was raced by Jacky Ickx and Brian Muir at the Le Mans 24 Hours. They qualified 15th but posted a DNF owing to engine failure. Pedro Rodriguez and Dick Thompson then took the wheel at the Brands Hatch 6 Hours where the car started ninth but crashed out.

M10003 subsequently went on to appear at three non-championship races between August and October.

Jacky Ickx started from pole and won the Swedish GP at Karlskoga, Paul Hawkins then collected second at the Skarpnack airfield Stockholmsloppet event six weeks later and then Ickx / Hawkins teamed up to take pole and victory in the Paris 1000km at Montlhery.

With its 1967 season complete, the expectation may have been that chassis M10003 would cease to compete at the top level. However, after that year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA had dropped a bombshell with an announcement that Group 6 cars would be subjected to a three-litre engine limit from 1968 (an attempt to reduce speeds). By contrast, Group 4 Sports cars would be permitted to run engines of up to five-litres but had to meet a 50-car homologation requirement (whereas Group 6 had no minimum obligation)

As the already Group 4 homologated GT40 would have a two-litre advantage over the Group 6 runners, John Wyer elected to create an all bells-and-whistles version with which to contest the 1968 World Sportscar Championship.

With this in mind, chassis M10003 was converted to the latest ‘Stage 2’ trim. As for its two M1 sister cars, chassis M10003 was sold to privateer Malcolm Guthrie while M10002 had been destroyed after a massive crash at the Nurburgring earlier in the year.

Compared to a regular M1 GT40, the Stage 2 upgrade included a lightened monocoque, a lightweight Mk1-style body reinforced with carbon filament aluminium, flared rear fenders, uprated brakes and improved cooling for the brakes and engine.

M10003’s conversion to GT40 Stage 2 trim was completed in February 1968 at which point JWAE issued the car with a new identity: P/1074.

Alongside sister cars P/1075 and P/1076, chassis P/1074 went on to play a major role in JWAE’s 1968 campaign contesting six World Sportscar Championship events for the Gulf Oil-backed outfit.

Having posted a DNF at the Daytona 24 Hours (fuel leak) and been a non classified finisher after a delayed run at the Sebring 12 Hours (both with Paul Hawkins / David Hobbs), P/1074 then recorded the fastest time at the annual Le Mans Test thanks to Jacky Ickx. This outing was followed by outright victory for Hawkins and Hobbs at the Monza 1000km.

Hawkins and Hobbs were again paired together in P/1074 at the Nurburgring 1000km (sixth overall, second in class), the Watkins Glen 6 Hours (second overall, second in class) and the Le Mans 24 Hours (DNF, engine failure).

In October 1968, P/1074 was loaned to Belgian privateer Jean Blaton for the non-championship Paris 1000km at Montlhery as Blaton’s own Stage 2 GT40 had been wrecked at Le Mans. Blaton and co-driver Hughes de Fierlant came home eighth overall and second in class.

Having returned to JWAE in Slough, P/1074 went on to contest one more race in period: the 1969 Brands Hatch 6 Hours where David Hobbs and Mike Hailwood claimed fifth overall and first in class.

In 1970, John Wyer (who by this time had agreed to run 917s on Porsche’s behalf) sold P/1074 along with sister car P/1076 to David Brown in Tampa, Florida. Brown then leased P/1074 to Solar Productions for the Steve McQueen movie, Le Mans, filming for which took place between June and September of 1970. Under the care of JWAE, P/1074 served as a camera car for which the entire roof section was removed.

David Brown sold P/1074 during 1971 to Harley Cluxton III (then of Glenview, Illinois) who in 1972 sold it to renowned collector Anthony Bamford in Staffordshire, England. The car was subsequently rebuilt by Willie Green using a new roof structure obtained from Abbey Panels (who had produced the original GT40 monocoques on Ford’s behalf). Bamford retained P/1074 until 1979, since which time it has gone through the hands of several private collectors.

Notable History

John Wyer Automotive Engineering (Gulf Racing)

01/05/1967 WSC Spa 1000km (J. Ickx / D. Thompson) 1st oa, 1st P2.0+ class (#6)
11/06/1967 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (J. Ickx / B. Muir) DNF (#15)
30/07/1967 WSC Brands Hatch 6 Hours (P. Rodriguez / D. Thompson) DNF (#3)
13/08/1967 IND Swedish GP, Karlskoga (J. Ickx) 1st oa, 1st SP2.0+ class (#1)
24/09/1967 IND Stockholmsloppet, Skarpnack (P. Hawkins) 2nd oa (#1)
15/10/1967 IND Paris 1000km, Montlhery (J. Ickx / P. Hawkins) 1st oa, 1st P class (#3)

Converted to GT40 Mk1 Stage 2 specification

04/02/1968 WSC Daytona 24 Hours (P. Hawkins / D. Hobbs) DNF (#9)
23/03/1968 WSC Sebring 12 Hours (P. Hawkins / D. Hobbs) NC (#29)
07/04/1968 IND Le Mans Test (J. Ickx) 1st oa, 1st S5.0 class (#12)
25/04/1968 WSC Monza 1000km (P. Hawkins / D. Hobbs) 1st oa, 1st S5.0 class (#40)
19/05/1968 WSC Nurburgring 1000km (D. Hobbs / B. Redman) 6th oa, 2nd S5.0 class (#66)
14/07/1968 WSC Watkins Glen 6 Hours (P. Hawkins / D. Hobbs) 2nd oa, 2nd S5.0 class (#6)
29/09/1968 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (P. Hawkins / D. Hobbs) DNF (#10)
13/10/1968 IND Paris 1000km, Montlhery (J. Blaton / H. de Fierlant) 8th oa, 2nd S class (#4)

13/04/1969 WSC Brands Hatch 6 Hours (D. Hobbs / M. Hailwood) 5th oa, 1st S5.0 class (#10)

1970 sold to David Brown, Florida

Loaned to Solar Productions Inc., North Hollywood, USA, for the Steve McQueen film ‘Le Mans’

1971 sold to Harley Cluxton, Illinois

1971 sold to Anthony Bamford, England

1979 sold to Harley Cluxton, Arizona

1980 sold to Steve Juda, New York

1980 sold to Bob Richmond, New York

Stored in Belguim for three years but eventually shipped back to the USA

1983 sold George Stauffer, Wisconsin

1983 sold to Adrian Hamilton, England

1983 sold to Harley Cluxton, Arizona