Beschreibung:

* 302-cid V8 * Gurney-Weslake heads with 48IDA Webers * Fully authenticated by Ronnie Spain * Ex-Geneva Auto Show Car * Extensive international race record * Restored by Phil Reilly * Proven vintage race car * Offered from the Tom Armstrong Collection * Impressive spares package Ford GT40 P '1033' was shipped to Geneva, Switzerland, from the Ford Advanced Vehicles Ltd production plant at Slough, Buckinghamshire, England, on January 14th, 1966. The car was shipped unpainted and incomplete, as it was destined for the Graber coachworks, where it was to be completed, trimmed and prepared as a very special road car for Georges Filipinetti, patron of Switzerland's celebrated Scuderia Filipinetti racing team. As entered by FAV on their contemporary Production Car Record Sheet, '1033' was intended as a "Road Car. Sent with std. race engine and transmission to be changed later." Graber's work was completed early in 1967, the car finished in light metallic blue with minimal over-rider-style nose protectors, electric door windows, full leather interior and that most sensible GT40 option, air-conditioning. The car featured on the front cover of the British 'Car' magazine issue of February 1967, and was displayed at the Geneva Salon the following month. Mr Filipinetti immediately offered it for sale through Geneva Ferrari dealer Jean-Jacques Weber, who found an eager buyer in Bolivian tin millionaire Jaime Ortiz Patino who at that time resided in Geneva. On May 5, 1967, '1033' was Swiss road registered for him as 'GE 136999'. In subsequent correspondence with premier GT40 authority Ronnie Spain, Mr Ortiz-Patino confirmed that he had driven the car quite often in Switzerland and France before having all its special trim removed and the car converted into a pure race car for his godson, Dominique Martin to drive in competition. This aspiring young French racing driver initially gained experience in the GT40 by contesting a series of minor-league national hill-climb events, as at the Col de la Faucille and at Beaujolais in 1968. He qualified for a full competition license and raced the car at Montlhery, outside Paris. Into the new year of 1969 Dominique Martin then entered '1033' for a series of major international endurance races, including the Le Mans 24-Hours. Co-driving the GT40 with the more experienced Frenchman Jean-Pierre Hanrioud, Martin appeared at the Le Mans Test Weekend on March 29-30, 1969, the still pale blue car then wearing prominent 'ZITRO' lettering across its nose, reflecting its Ortiz-Patino family sponsorship. On Italy's Liberation Day – April 25 – the Martin/Hanrioud pairing raced '1033' in the Monza 1,000Kms round of that year's FIA World Championship of Makes, and finished 15th overall. Their Le Mans ambitions were foiled by a major engine failure during practice which prevented them taking the start, but on October 12, 1969, Martin and Pierre Maublanc drove the car well in the Montlhery 1,000Kms and finished ninth overall, fourth in their class. The following weekend saw '1033' contest the Hockenheim 300-Miles in Germany, again finishing ninth. Into 1970 Dominique Martin shipped the now well-developed Ford to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the opening round of the new year's World Championship series. In a preliminary 200-mile event at the Buenos Aires Autodrome on January 11, Martin retired due to transmission failure, but on January 18 placed twelfth overall in the Championship-qualifying Buenos Aires 1,000Kms there. Back in France that March, '1033' contested the public road Rallye de l'Ouest, Martin finishing second overall with navigator Chini by his side. Dominique Martin then decided to change sporting direction and the ZITRO Ford GT40 – surplus to his requirements - was subsequently repainted in a non-metallic pale blue and was offered for sale via ex-Scuderia Filipinetti mechanic Michel Berney. Unfortunately, on October 26 that year while driving it between his home and garage premises, Michel Berney had the c