1/10 Exoto LMC10011 Ford GT40 Mk II #1, Second, 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, Ken Miles, Denny Hulme, L.E. 1/1,966, Individual Chassis Number.

The car that won LeMans in 1966…no, really! When asked which Ford GT40 was victorious at LeMans in 1966, most knowledgeable enthusiasts would describe the black and silver #2 car of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, and technically, they’d be correct.

After years of development, extensive testing, enormous investment, and tragic loss of life, Ford was finally ready to directly challenge Ferrari’s supremacy in the arena of long-distance sports car racing. In 1966, Ford Racing seeded the LeMans contest with no fewer than eight 7 litre GT40’s, in hopes of unseating the dominant Ferraris. As the grueling race unwound, engine failure and accidents eliminated all the competitive Ferraris, assuring Ford its first LeMans victory. In an act of near hubris, Ford decided to stage a ‘photo finish’ for its top three cars. Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson driving car #5 were in third position, albeit 12 laps down. Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren piloting car #2, were in second on the lead lap, following Ken Miles and Denny Hulme in car #1. As the cars bunched up nearing the finish line, Miles inexplicably braked, allowing McLaren to slightly pull ahead and cross the line first. Ford crews believed the #2 car to be a full lap in arrears, but the race officials disagreed, and awarded the win to McLaren and Amon. The calculated margin of victory after 24 hours of brutal racing? 24 feet!

GT40’s have been extensively modeled, from 1:43 through 1:8 scales. This featured GT40 is from Exoto, and is extremely impressive in its 1:10 size. Although other manufacturers have done outstanding work with larger scale pieces, in our opinion, this Exoto model stands head and shoulders above the rest. The level of detail is mind-boggling, and the fit and finish propel this model to rank among the very best limited edition die cast pieces ever produced.

Firstly, it’s big, and it’s heavy, imparting to the viewer a very real sense of solidity and substance. The light blue paintwork is flawless, and the decal application is razor-sharp. A myriad of open body vents are painted flat black on the inside, with absolutely no overspray whatsoever; an incredible achievement which enhances the model’s realism. We’ll just touch on the detail highlights (from front to rear) but for the prospective owner, one can literally spend hours exploring this magnificent piece….it’s that good!

The perspex headlight and foglight covers fit perfectly into the bodywork and are convincingly secured with individual chrome-plated rivets. The head and fog light lenses are correctly patterned as well.

Carefully removing the wire-anchored hood pins allows the front spare tire cover to be raised on its substantial hinges, revealing a beautifully detailed compartment. Real leather straps secure the Goodyear tire and Halibrand wheel snugly in an aluminum-framed tub, while the remaining space is filled with the oil reservoir, steering rack, brake cooling hoses, and a lovely photo-etched coolant radiator.

The spare tire cover’s travel is limited by a braided wire strand, and a tiny, hinged access door is inset just above the oil filler cap. Remarkable!

Releasing the functional front clamshell latches and swinging the bodywork forward exposes just how much is going on ‘up front’. The entire oil reservoir now becomes visible, replete with metal tie-down straps and a nifty clear ’sight glass’ to quickly check oil levels.

The intricacies of the front suspension reveal themselves, with robust coilover shocks, braided brake lines, and flexible brake cooling ductwork. The head, running, and fog lights are all wired delicately and convincingly. By the way, the suspension is fully functional as well! Just to the right and ahead of the windscreen is the chrome-plated fuel filler cap with locking lever; all functional.

Snick open the door handle, and another whole world of detail is revealed. The doors themselves are secured with microscopic spring-loaded ball bearings which click right into their corresponding latches. Just to illustrate the lengths Exoto went to with this piece, there is a tiny chassis number plate affixed to the firewall just behind the driver’s seat. It reads ‘Ford Advanced Vehicles Ltd. Chassis no.____’. This metal plate isn’t printed, it’s stamped, with raised lettering. It is impossible to read without magnification, but it’s all there! The attention to detail is jaw-dropping. The door interiors feature hand applied rivets, real leather pull straps and fully functioning, locking perspex vent windows. The seats feature the iconic GT40 metal-ringed vents, four-point safely harnesses, leather-like seating surfaces, and again, in a fit of hyper-authenticity, the seat’s webbing support system is just visible below the side bolsters. The positionable gear lever sits just to the steering wheel’s right, and comes equipped with a working reverse lock-out lever! The glazed, chrome-bezeled instruments are readable, and the ten dash mounted toggle switches actually work. Nestled in the driver’s footwell are functional accelerator, brake, clutch, and dead pedals. The opposite footwell carries the battery, its hold-down bracket, and electrical cables. The perspex-covered fusebox is also on view, just forward of the passenger seat.

Travelling aft, remove the roof-mounted bonnet clip, flick open the side securing levers, tilt the clamshell rearward, and the thundering 7 litre heart of this beast is revealed in all its glory.

There is simply too much going on back here to elaborate fully. Suffice it to say that this is not only a model to enjoy, but one worthy of study, to determine how the real GT40 worked. Every fuel, coolant, and oil line is fabricated from braided wire, and secured with ubiquitous red and blue anodized A/N fittings.

Every scoop and vent is functional, allowing the viewer to understand just how cooling air was funneled to the engine bay and braking systems.

The massive dual exhausts are secured to the framework by a double coil spring arrangement, while the rear lip spoiler is fully height-adjustable. All four wheels are removable, as are the brake calipers and discs.

Exoto has produced one of the finest large-scale die cast models in history, which deserves a place of honor in any serious collection. It really is that good!

(Credit: aeromobilia)