Amalgam Collection Creates Perfect Replica Of 1969 Ford GT40 Le Mans Winner

Oct. 30, 2022 6:40 AM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Offbeat / 1 Comment

This model looks so real we had to do a double-take.

At this point, the Ford GT is a dynasty. And there's no better figurehead for that dynasty than the Le Mans-winning 1969 GT40 with the Gulf Oil livery. It's one of the most iconic cars in one of the most iconic racing liveries of all time. If you're really pining for one, this is your chance. Sort of.

Amalgam makes incredibly detailed model cars. Ones so stunningly accurate a standalone photo is enough to convince 99% of people Amalgam's cars are the real deal. This GT40 is no different and is a near-perfect replica of the famous chassis #1075 raced by ex-F1 driver Jacky Ickx and Jacke Oliver at Le Mans.

The real deal, John Wyer Automotive Engineering's #6 car, took the win at Circuit de la Sarthe by just 390 feet. Sandy Copeman, a founding partner of Amalgam, said: "We are truly delighted to have the opportunity to create a reference level model at 1:18 scale of one of the most iconic cars of all time."

Originally, Amalgam built a 1:8 scale model, which was done using data from a scan of an original GT40. The car was, of course, owned by a client of Amalgam. To build the smaller 1:18 model, Copeman says the company needed "over 800 hours of further development." Originally, the GT40 was recreated in 1:8 scale roughly a year ago.

Per Copeman, work only concluded once Ford's own experts at the Ford Archive and Heritage department were totally satisfied with the accuracy of the model. If you look closely, you can even see graining on the "wood" of the GT40's shift knob. That kind of obsessive accuracy is only found in something like this.

Models measure more than eight inches long, and Coperman says that the team "had to dig deep into photo archives and records to ensure that our model exactly replicates the car on the day it won at Le Mans in 1969." Amalgam has set pricing for the Le Mans-winning replica at $1,181. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than a real one, to say the least, and almost as special.