Even by its own standards as an event for bringing together the rarest, most exclusive and most exotic automobiles ever made, visitors to this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 21, will be treated to an extremely unusual sight.

The event's organizers have convinced the owner of every international race-winning Ford GT40 in existence to display their beloved cars on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links.

"We're honored -- and thrilled -- to be able to unite all of these historic champions," said Concours Chairman Sandra Button. "This is an unprecedented gathering -- one that has excited every member of our Selection Committee and one that promises to make history in its own right."

Although the original car debuted in 1964, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the GT40's historic Le Mans 1-2-3 finish, a result that knocked Ferrari off its perch and established Ford as a serious performance car company.

Ford has marked the milestone with an all-new GT which, despite its $400,000 price tag, is already sold out until 2019. Meanwhile original GT40s now command multi-million-dollar fees on the rare occasions that they come up for sale.

Yet, there are other ways to get hold of a piece of this automotive legend and although expensive, they won't break the bank completely or require joining a two-year waiting list.

Shelby American now offers a continuation car, based on the GT40 Mk II, that's so close to the original that over two thirds of the parts are interchangeable. And at $169,995 for the rolling chassis -- personalization options and choices regarding fiber glass or aluminum shells are significant extras -- it's still cheaper.

For roughly the same outlay but for a completed car in return, South Africa-based Hi-Tech Automotive builds a Superformance replica Mk I or Mk II for $150,000 (before taxes). Like the Shelby, over two thirds of the parts used are interchangeable with those of an original GT40 and, depending on powertrain options, the car is capable of going from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds and hitting a 330km/h top speed.

Across the pond from the GT, British made McLaren is no pushover either;  check out our test drive of the McLaren 650S Spider.