Slightly altered suspension geometry resulted in a little more ground clearance, the hub carriers being manufactured from alloy instead of magnesium for better corrosion resistance. Solid Girling brake discs similar to those of the original Ford GT’s were adopted along with a pair of smaller 13.8 gallon fuel tanks (instead of 18.5’s), these being surrounded by a two-inch layer of polyurethane foam to lessen the fire hazard in the event of a crash. There was also a new rack and pinion steering system. All MkIII’s were equipped with Shelby GT350-spec 289 V8’s, these engines producing 306bhp at 6000rpm and 329lbs/ft of torque at 4200rpm. Displacement was 4737cc and compression set at 10.5:1, a single four barrel 600 CFM Holley normally being mounted on a Cobra high-rise manifold although sometimes 715 CFM carbs were also used. A complex exhaust system was mounted over the five-speed ZF all-synchromesh transmission, this in turn being coupled to a twin plate Borg & Beck clutch that was identical to those fitted in the MkI.

US buyers of MkI road cars had experienced problems with licensing men regarding the ground clearance and also the height of the front headlights, both of which were deemed to be too low. Increasing the ground clearance had been a relatively straightforward affair but rectifying the headlight issue made a drastic difference to the look of the MkIII. Instead of the two rectangular lenses used on most previous incarnations of the GT40, MkIII’s adopted four circular headlights set under Plexiglas fairings. They were mounted much higher up the re-profiled front wings, the nose also being extended. More changes came in the form of a lengthened tail that was necessary in order to free up enough space for a modest luggage bin mounted over the transaxle. Tiny chrome bumperette’s were fitted front and back, the new front and rear body sections being fabricated from fibreglass. All MkIII’s came with 15-inch Borrani wire wheels (6.5 front / 8 rear).

Considerable attention was paid to providing a better quality interior, the general fit and finish being much improved. Adjustable seats with inertia reel safety belts and built-in head restraints were used along with flip open side windows that were hinged at the front. A centre-mounted transmission was the most radical change, this layout being adopted so Ford could offer both left and right-hand examples of the MkIII, all previous GT40’s having been right-hookers. However, as a result of being moved from the right-side door sill to the central tunnel, the gearshift put up noticeably more resistance. Other improvements included a better heating and ventilation system and a radio cassette player. One car was also reputedly equipped with air-conditioning and a TV!

Weighing in at 2340lbs, the 306bhp MkIII was capable of 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds, 0-100 in 13.6 and a top speed of 167mph. It was introduced with a price tag of $18,500 in 1967, $2000 more than a MkI racer and the equivalent of seven Mustang’s. This made it a very hard car to sell and eventually only seven were built, four of which were left-hand drive.