The GT40 was right-hand drive because it was engineered for European racing, not American roads

The Ford GT40 arrived in 1964 as a race car first and a street car never. Every design choice, including the steering wheel position, served one purpose: winning at Le Mans. The car was developed in Britain by Lola Cars and Ford Advanced Vehicles, with input from drivers and engineers who raced in Europe. For them, right-hand drive was the standard. The first prototypes and race cars were all right-hand drive, and that's what Ford kept when the company later built a small number of road-legal versions.

This wasn't a mistake or an oversight. It was the logical choice for a machine built by British engineers, tested on British tracks, and campaigned by European drivers. The few GT40s that made it to American owners had to live with the European specification — right-hand drive, metric fasteners, and all.

Key Takeaways

  • The GT40 was designed and built in Britain by Lola Cars and Ford Advanced Vehicles, so right-hand drive was the natural choice for the engineering team.
  • Le Mans and other European racing circuits were the GT40's only purpose; there was no American market to consider during development.
  • The car's first drivers and test pilots were European, and they expected right-hand drive as standard.
  • When Ford later produced road-legal GT40s for customers, the company kept the right-hand drive specification rather than retooling for left-hand drive.

Who built the GT40 and where

Ford didn't design the GT40 in Detroit. The project started with Lola Cars, a British race car manufacturer, which built the original prototype in 1963. Ford then acquired the design and established Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England, to develop and race the car. The engineering team was British and European, not American.

This mattered because the team's entire frame of reference was European racing. They built the car to European specifications, which meant right-hand drive. The steering wheel went on the right side the same way it would have for a Jaguar or a Lotus — because that's what the engineers knew and what the drivers expected.

Le Mans required a car built for European circuits

The GT40 existed to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a French endurance race that Ford's leadership had decided to dominate. Every system in the car — suspension, brakes, cooling, fuel capacity — was tuned for that specific track and the European racing calendar. The steering wheel position was part of that same logic.

European race drivers of the 1960s drove right-hand-drive cars. They trained in right-hand-drive cars. They expected the steering wheel on the right. Building the GT40 with left-hand drive would have meant reengineering the cockpit layout, moving the fuel cell, and creating an unfamiliar driving position for the pilots who would race it. None of that made sense when the car's only job was to win in Europe.

The road cars kept the racing specification

Ford built only 107 GT40s total, and most were race cars. A handful were converted to road-legal versions for customers, but these retained the right-hand-drive layout. The company didn't create a separate left-hand-drive variant for American buyers. The few Americans who owned a GT40 had to accept the European specification — which, for a car that cost over $400,000 in today's money, was part of the exclusivity.

Building a left-hand-drive version would have required significant retooling and engineering work. Ford's priority was racing, not customer comfort. The road cars were essentially race cars with lights and a windshield, and they came as they were built.

American drivers had to adapt to European cars

In the 1960s, buying an exotic European race car meant accepting European specifications. American owners of Ferraris, Porsches, and Jaguars often drove right-hand-drive cars. It was unusual but not unheard of. The GT40 was the ultimate expression of this: a car so rare and so focused on its racing mission that its steering wheel position was straightforward part of the package.

Driving a right-hand-drive car in America is awkward for everyday use — passing, toll booths, and drive-throughs all become exercises in reaching across your body. But the GT40 wasn't an everyday car. It was a race car that happened to be street-legal, and its owners knew what they were getting.

Why Ford didn't switch to left-hand drive later

Even after the GT40's racing career wound down, Ford never produced a left-hand-drive road version. The company had already moved on to other projects. The GT40 remained a curiosity: a British-engineered race car that happened to wear a Ford badge, and it stayed right-hand drive because that's how it was built.

This decision reflected the car's identity. The GT40 wasn't a mass-market car adapted for racing. It was a race car adapted for the road. Its right-hand drive wasn't a limitation to overcome — it was a feature that proved the car's racing pedigree.

Frequently Asked Questions

Could you convert a GT40 to left-hand drive?

Technically yes, but it would be a major undertaking. You'd need to move the steering column, fuel cell, and brake lines, and recalibrate the suspension geometry. Most owners keep their cars right-hand drive because converting one would destroy its originality and value. The rarity of the car makes any modification controversial.

Did any GT40s come with left-hand drive from the factory?

No. Every GT40 built, whether race car or road car, was right-hand drive. Ford never produced a left-hand-drive variant, even though the company knew some cars would end up in America.

How did American owners drive right-hand-drive GT40s on public roads?

They adapted. Passing required leaning forward to see around oncoming traffic. Toll booths meant reaching across the car or stopping at an angle. Drive-throughs were awkward. Most GT40 owners treated their cars as weekend toys rather than daily drivers, so the inconvenience was manageable.

Was the GT40 the only Ford race car with right-hand drive?

No, but it was the most famous. Ford's European racing program produced several right-hand-drive cars because they were built and raced in Europe. The GT40 stands out because a few road-legal versions survived and are still driven today.