Southeast
Rare, stunning and legendary 1966 Ford GT40 MkI hits auction, estimated value up to $7M
Auto collectors and enthusiasts are revved up over an extremely rare street model of one of America’s most legendary race cars.
The sleek, metallic dark blue 1966 Ford GT40 MkI Road Car, with black interior and right-hand drive, was listed by Mecum Auctions on Jan. 2, 2024, with one estimate placing its value at $7 million.
“The GT40 is one of Ford’s great masterpieces, and it’s an extremely rare event to see one offered at public auction,” Sam Murtaugh, COO of Mecum Auctions, said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
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“To put it in perspective, when a Picasso masterpiece comes to market, art collectors know that if they don’t act, it may never see the light of day again.”
The listed auto is reportedly one of only 30 GT40 Road Cars ever built. It shows just 13,442 miles on the odometer and has not been seen in public over the last 30 years, under the most recent of its four owners.
Mecum Auctions listed a very rare 1966 Ford GT40 Mkl Road Car on Jan. 2, 2024. One estimate places its value at up to $7 million. (Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc.)
“The result is a barely used, concours-quality GT40 that might have just 29 brothers and sisters on the planet,” AutoBlog.com reported Monday.
“The GT40 is one of Ford’s great masterpieces, and it’s an extremely rare event to see one offered at public auction.”
“Mecum hasn’t provided a pre-sale estimate. According to Hagerty, the quality of this GT40 puts the coupe’s valuation at just over $7 million.”
Mecum Auctions listed a very rare 1966 Ford GT40 Mkl Road Car on Jan. 2, 2024. One estimate places its value at up to $7 million. (Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc.)
The sparkling gem of American muscle went up for bid at Mecum’s Kissimmee, Florida 2024 showcase, which ends Jan. 14.
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The allure of the GT40 is its rarity, power and stunning design — boosted by the car’s international legend among auto enthusiasts as the American auto that toppled the Ferrari dynasty at Le Mans, France.
“Perhaps the most successful and iconic American racing car ever built, the Ford GT40 has become an automotive icon to many enthusiasts,” Mecum writes.
Drivers run to their cars at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, at the Circuit de la Sarthe, in Le Mans, France, June 18, 1966. The four cars in the foreground are Ford GT40 MkI models. Of them, numbers 2 and 1 finished first and second, respectively. (Getty Images)
“In so many ways, the GT40 helped shape automotive history by being so successful in its era against the European manufacturers who had dominated sports car racing for far too long.”
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The race car’s prestige was forged in the wake of a deal gone bad between Ferrari and Ford, according to Mecum.
“Henry Ford II decided that if he could not buy the legendary sports car builder, he would beat them at their own game — and that’s just what he did with the GT40,” the auction house writes.
Mecum Auctions listed a very rare 1966 Ford GT40 Mkl Road Car on Jan. 2, 2024. Here are two views of the car. (Photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc.)
“Ferrari’s last win at Le Mans was in 1965 with its 250 LM, and at that time, Ford was just beginning to gain steam with its GT program. By 1966, Ferrari’s Le Mans dynasty was at an end.”
The Ford GT40 not only won the race in 1966; it swept the top three spots.
“The Ford GT40 was the car that brought Le Mans to America’s consciousness,” Florida auto museum Revs Institute writes on its website, “and victory in the French classic to Dearborn.”
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Southeast
NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire
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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared an update on his mother’s condition after she was moved to a burn unit following a house fire in North Carolina that left his father dead earlier this week.
Hamlin thanked those who reached out to him and shared their condolences. Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze that occurred in Stanley.
Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” he wrote on X. “My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”
Officials said Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem to treat her injuries.
Officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
The fire broke out at a home in Stanley around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, which drew emergency responses from Gaston and Lincoln Counties, according to Queen City News.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Both Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were out of the house as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
“We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police,” the Lucia-Bend Fire Department said in a statement to the outlet.
Dennis Hamlin’s death was announced later Monday.
NASCAR released a statement on Tuesday to honor the NASCAR driver’s father.
“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the organization said.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Repeat offender truck driver charged with bank robbery after claiming C-4 explosives, firing on officers: feds
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A North Carolina truck driver, who is a repeat offender, has been federally charged following a bank robbery and a shootout with law enforcement, authorities said.
Willie Edward McGee Jr. is charged with bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to a complaint.
Authorities said that McGee entered a First Citizens Bank in Zebulon, North Carolina, on Dec. 26, and demanded money from a teller while claiming to have C-4 explosives. The teller gave him $3,234, and McGee fled in a semi-truck, they said.
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to an armed bank robbery investigation that led to the arrest of Willie Edward McGee Jr. in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
Deputies with the Rocky Mount Police Department said that McGee’s truck was found in a Hobby Lobby parking lot following the initial robbery.
According to surveillance and officers at the scene, McGee allegedly exited the vehicle armed with a Ruger AR-style 5.56 rifle and fired at officers.
Police returned fire and struck McGee. No law enforcement officers or civilians were injured. While taking McGee into custody, officers recovered the AR rifle he allegedly used to shoot at officers and a handgun from his waistband.
No officers or members of the public were injured as law enforcement safely took the suspect into custody after a coordinated response in Rocky Mount. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
McGee, according to records reviewed by WRAL-News, has a lengthy criminal history. The local outlet said that the suspect has dozens of charges dating back more than 20 years.
WRAL reported that he has offenses spanning from Duplin, Wake and Durham counties.
Federal and local law enforcement recovered guns and evidence following the arrest of a suspect charged with armed bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the incident “domestic terror.”
“As alleged, this defendant didn’t just rob a bank — he threatened innocent civilians with explosives and then opened fire on police officers,” Blanche said. “That is not desperation, it is domestic terror. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and professionalism of our law enforcement partners, he is alive, in custody, and facing decades in federal prison.”
“Let this serve as a warning: if you bring violence into our communities or target the men and women who protect them, this Department of Justice will meet you with the full weight of the federal government and ensure you are removed from the streets for a very long time.”
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The investigation remains active. Anyone with further information about the alleged crimes is asked to please call the FBI at (704) 672-6100. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, for comment.
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Southeast
Homeless drifter accused of killing Barnes & Noble Christmas shopper blamed ‘fight or flight’ outburst: report
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The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman inside a Palm Beach Gardens Barnes & Noble days before Christmas had traveled through several states before entering Florida, authorities said Tuesday.
Palm Beach Gardens police identified the suspect as Antonio R. Moore, 40, and said he is accused of killing 65-year-old Rita B. Loncharich inside the popular bookstore on the evening of Dec. 22.
Investigators said Moore is not a Florida resident and had moved through multiple states, including through Georgia and North Carolina, before coming to Florida. Police said Moore boarded a bus on Dec. 15 from Orlando to Titusville and then traveled onward into Palm Beach County.
Antonio Moore, 40, is facing a murder charge following the alleged stabbing at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Google Maps/Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office)
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According to the arrest affidavit obtained by WFLX Fox 29, Moore entered the bookstore around 7:29 p.m. and Loncharich arrived shortly afterward. Investigators said Moore approached Loncharich in a store aisle and stabbed her in the back with a pocketknife.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Moore allegedly told police a “fight or flight” response overtook him, and he took a fixed-blade knife from his jacket pocket. He reportedly told police that he stabbed Loncharich because she was the closest person to him at the time and said he did not have any prior interaction with her.
A Barnes & Noble location in San Diego, Calif. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Bystanders helped the victim until first responders arrived, the local outlet reported. Loncharich was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she died during surgery.
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Police received a 911 call at 7:52 p.m. and located Moore several blocks from the scene minutes later. He was taken into custody without incident.
Moore, who police say is homeless, told investigators he had no prior relationship with the victim and offered no motive for the attack. According to authorities, he admitted to sitting in the store charging his phone just before the stabbing.
Jail records from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office show that Moore was booked on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder. He is being held without bond.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department said it is searching for a motive in the Barnes & Noble stabbing. (Palm Beach Gardens Police Department)
Local family members and community members described Loncharich as a “kind, gentle” person whose life was cut short during what should have been a routine holiday outing.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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