41c Ford GT40 - racing number 9

[nickjones]

by email.
Nick,
I've recently noticed an interesting variation on the Ford GT-40, #41c that I haven't seen discussed on any forums so I thought I'd see if you were aware of it. Most of them have the hood decal affixed so that the number reads "6" and the numeral is positioned low on the hood, towards the front bumper, but on a few occasions I've noticed that the decal has been applied backwards so that the number reads "9" and it is closer to the windshield. Any thoughts?

Kevin Enos

Funny enough, I have seen and handled hundreds of GT40's but have never seen one with the racing number 9 although I know they do exist, So how rare are they ?.

[johnboy]

I have a couple of these (a regular wheels and a superfast) with inverted labels that I came by fairly easily and I recall a few members including Antonin posting some picture showing their ones, but never seen a decal version.

just edited, I didn't read it properly

[Taniwha]

Hi Nick,

I have a 41c with "9" label. I've seen a few with labels applied upside down, but never one with the decal upside down.

Cheers,
Gavin

[Tinman]

I suspect this has to do with decals being applied by hand and labels being applied by machine. Load the machine wrong and you will get a whole batch of negative variations.

[Brad Pittiful]

we discussed this on the old site

here is one with the 9 label



here is one with the 9 decal



i see the 9 label models quite often and wouldnt consider them rare...ive only seen two 9 decals for sale...i got one and hotwheelsbob got the other

also someone posted a pic of the yellow color one with a 9 decal

[matchboxkiwi]

The comparison pictures are interesting.
I was aware of the 6 and 9 labels and as commented on thought the labels were applied by machine and that the 6 and 9 can easily occur by the roll of labels being put into the machine the wrong way around. Looking at the photo's, why is it that they appear to be cut off at different lengths? The 6 appears at the front of the bonnet/label and on another model it's in the middle of the bonnet or label !

Cheers Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[kwakers]

I have only one 41C with a 9 label on it. I remember a yellow decal 9 selling on E Bay U.K. 3 years ago, but I was too dumb to realize how tough to find that one would be. I contacted the Seller about it, but passed on it because it had minimal wear on the raised door edges. Chances are, the one mentioned above was that one.....hindsight......kwakers

[hotwheelsbob2000]

I love Ford Gts!!



I still want to find the SF41 with the Renault 17TL #6 sticker.

[kbean63]

And here I was hoping I had discovered the "upside-down biplane" of Matchbox but it sounds like #9's are fairly common. I would be a bit cautious about spending big bucks on something like an upside-down label which seems like it would be easy to fake (or is it?).

[nickjones]

It is possible to swap labels and decals so I would not pay big money for them.
But I think the 9 versions are quite hard to find here in the uk although it seems they are more common in the usa.