1990 | GTD 40

GTD40 by GT Developments – The Ford GT40 that lets you drive

There are replicas that merely try to imitate the original. And then there is this GTD40 – a car that isn’t just “kind of like” a Ford GT40. No, this beast is a four-wheeled battle cry, a road-legal homage to Le Mans, with a soundtrack that will turn your neighbours into either friends or enemies. Nothing in between.

History – From Essex to Sapporo, via the hell of motorsport prep
GT Developments (GTD) wasn’t a workshop for Sunday tinkerers. Between 1983 and 2004, around 400 GT40 replicas were built in the UK – for people for whom a poster on the wall simply wasn’t enough. These cars travelled to America, Japan and back again, mostly into garages where horsepower mattered more than square footage.

This particular GTD40 was first registered in the UK on 5 January 1990. Just a year later it went to Japan, plate number SPS330YA40 in Sapporo. In 2007 the legendary Epping Motor Company brought it back to the island. And then came an Italian.

A “Gentleman Driver” who took the word trackday more seriously than his wedding. He bought the car and transformed it from a road-going model into a beast built for the circuit. Not a show car. Not a poser. A true driving machine.

Engineering – From “nice” to “holy sh…”
The modifications devoured over €40,000 – and every cent was worth it. Highlights:

• Renault gearbox out, ZF competition box in. Whoever has shifted a ZF knows: this isn’t a gearbox, it’s a mechanical oath.
• Twin-carb intake manifolds for more air, more fuel, more drama.
• Racing headers and exhausts. The sound? A Detroit thunderclap.
• rear axle with uniball joints. Result: handling like a scalpel with a racing licence.
• New cooling system with high-performance radiator. To keep the V8 cool while you heat things up.

Most parts came from the US, many had to be custom-made. It took years. But the result is pure racing gold.

Inside & out – Gulf livery for the soul, black cockpit for the fight
Outside? Gulf paint. The classic. Le Mans 1969 vibes. Inside? Black as the night before the start signal.

No touchscreens. No driver aids. Just you, the steering wheel, and a 4,949 cc V8 that turns every revolution into pure adrenaline.

Race outings – short but intense
After completion, the GTD40 entered a handful of events:

• Vernasca Silver Flag
• Monte Maddalena Hillclimb
• Odolo “Acciaio e Motori”
• Bergamo Historic GP

Each of these events is a knighthood in itself. After that? Life got in the way. The owner simply no longer had the time for motorsport. And so here it stands today.

Conclusion – You won’t get more GT40. Unless you buy the original.
This GTD40 isn’t a car. It’s a concentrated explosion of history, engineering and passion. Built not to sit in garages, but to devour corners and sacrifice tyres.

Whoever buys this car doesn’t get a replica. They get a battle cry against anyone who thinks classics should be tame.

If you want a GTD40 that does more than just look good – here it is.