The Shelby American (Winter 2021)

The SHELBY AMERICAN Another Ten GT40 MK IVs Are Coming Your Way Word has reached us that yet another Ford GT40 MK IV project is in the works. Kar Kraft recently sold their MK IV as- sets – tooling, fixtures and some original design drawings – to race car constructor Riley Technologies. The company is owned by Bob Riley (formerly of race car construc- tors Riley & Scott) and his son Bill. Bob Riley worked on the original Ford MK IV program and, in fact, his name is on some of the original blueprints and working drawings. He helped design the car in De- troit more than fifty years ago. Riley is cur- rently 89 years-old and still works every day designing race cars. Also joining the project is race team owner and driver Jim Matthews. Initial plans are for up to ten period-correct continuation cars to be built in Riley Technologies facility in Mooresville, North Carolina. The MK IV is certainly one of the most iconic race cars in history. Yjeu were only raced twice (with two outright wins). One car, J-4 was driven by Mario Andretti and Bruce McLaren at Sebring in March, 1967. They won the 12-hour event. The other event the MK IV competed in was the Le- Mans 24-Hours in June of 1967. Four cars were entered: J-5 (Dan Gurney/A.J. Foyt finished 1st); J-6 (Bruce McLaren/Mark Winter 2021 15 Donohue 4th); J-7 (Mario Andretti/Lucien Bianchi crashed); J-8 (Dennis Hulme/ Lloyd Ruby DNF). Based on Riley Technology’s superb rep- utation, their continuation MK IVs will be certainly be built to the highest standards. And they will be expensive. Original MK IVs, in the rare instances when they come up for sale, change hands for several mil- lions of dollars. We’re guessing that the Riley cars will be priced close to one mil. Helping them reach that price is the fact that vintage race sanctioning bodies will welcome them to the party because there’s not much of a chance of one of the originals being raced. Continuation cars have be- come accepted and are no longer scoffed at. Look for the first one of these in 2022. J-5 J-4