Heading back out after lengthy work, the car soon began pulling to one side and developed a vibration. The initial decision was to retire P/1032 but Donohue, famous for his engineering nous as much as driving skill, persuaded team boss Moody to let him take it on track to work out the issue.
It transpired upon removing the valve covers that the car had bent rods, probably from over-revving the engine following its half-shaft issue. New rods were put in and Donohue rejoined the race.
It got worse though – no sooner had he then got back on track than the rear clamshell engine cover flew off at 210mph on the Mulsanne straight, the American just barely keeping the almost-out-of-control beast on the road.
Remarkably original, the car remained in the Indy Museum for over 50 years before going up for sale
On reaching the pits at a crawl, officials then tried to disqualify P/1032, but Donohue successfully remonstrated with them – helped by some booing from the crowd – to let him return to the track once more and retrieve the missing cover.
“The car was pardoned from competition life but treated with no less reverence”
Heading round the circuit in a ‘naked’ GT40 at a snail’s pace, Donohue parked his car on the Mulsanne while waving away fans who offered to help – this would have meant instant disqualification.
He dragged the tailpiece towards the car and reattached it with pliers and tape, before once again setting off at a crawl to get it fixed properly in the pits.
#4 on its way to the start in ’66
A few laps into yet another beleaguered re-entry, a transaxle issue was considered terminal and the car was finally retired. In five hours, the car had managed just 12 laps, while the Shelby American GT40 of McLaren and Amon took a famous first Ford win, part of its celebrated, if controversial, 1-2-3.
However, with the car soon pardoned from competition life thereafter, it was treated with no less reverence, this being a perfect example of the machine which had made history for the Blue Oval. Shown ‘as-raced’, P/1032 is thought to have been displayed at the October 1966 Paris Motor Show, before going on to the March 1967 Geneva Motor Show and finally the August 1967 Monza Auto Show. The car was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1968 where it remained until the sale.