Larry H. Miller Total Performance Museum Acquires Shelby American GT40

by Michael Satterfield

We are thrilled to be able to add GT40 P-104 to the Larry H. Miller Total Performance Museum collection, my late father, Larry H. Miller, was very passionate about Shelby Cobras and Ford GT40s. He not only shared that enthusiasm with all our family, but with the public as well through the creation of the museum at Miller Motorsports Park. We are happy to be able to add another very significant GT40 to the collection, and we hope that the public will come out and enjoy these cars as my father intended.

Greg Miller, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. 

I saw that P-104 had gone across the auction block for a record-setting $7 Million dollars at the Mecum Auto Auction in Houston Texas last week. This is one of the most important GT40's ever made.  We now know who won the bid on this amazing machine, The Larry H,. Miller Total Performance Museum collection. Chassis P-104 is one of only two famously prepared and raced by Shelby American for the 1965 season. As the first-ever 1965 Shelby American-specification GT40 is regarded as the most original and correct prototype Shelby American team car and the second-oldest existing Ford GT40. 

Ford GT40 No. P-104 was built in June 1964. It was the fourth GT40 to be constructed, and the first to use thin-wall chassis tubing to save weight. Just days after construction was complete it made its racing debut in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it qualified second but failed to finish after an engine fire damaged the car.

The highlight of the car’s career was in the 1965 Daytona Continental, the 2000km predecessor to the 24 Hours of Daytona, where it qualified and finished third. It also raced at Nassau, Sebring, Monza, and the Nurburgring. Among the drivers who drove P-104 were Jo Schlesser, Dickie Attwood, Bruce McLaren, Bob Bondurant, Richie Ginther, and Phil Hill.