The 2006 Ford GT crossed the block first, taking with it the top honors of a $335,000 winning bid. Number 12 of just 2,011 built that year. The rare black-and-silver adorned GT – reminiscent of the similarly liveried Le Mans-winning GT40 of Bruce McLaren – sports a mere 300 miles on the odometer, which works out to around 33 miles per year. It finds its new home following a one-owner lifespan from new.
Not to be outdone, the second GT – a red 2005 model – crossed the block to the tune of $300,000. This noteworthy example bears a trifling 382 miles on the clock, but the standout feature here is its Le Mans stripe delete, which to these eyes at least, makes this GT look years younger.
Of course, the mid-2000’s GT would never have come to fruition if it weren’t for the storied exploits of its forefather and inspiration, the Ford GT40 racer. It all started in the early 1960s, when Enzo Ferrari initiated talks with Henry Ford II to buy-out Ferrari’s road car operations. After what appeared to be a done deal, Ferrari ultimately decided against the proposition due to management disagreements regarding its racing arm.
So the disgruntled Ford decided to take his corporate battle to the racetrack and the Ferrari-fighting Ford GT40 was born, although success didn’t come initially. The GT40 fell short due to mechanical issues at Le Mans in ’64 and ’65, but then in 1966 Ford finished with a 1-2-3 victory, repeated with a win in 1967 and again with privateer victories in 1968 and ’69.
As such, the re-imagined Ford GT pieces itself together with the hallmarks of its elder. Underneath its aluminum body panels, the GT packs an aluminum spaceframe chassis and mid-mounted 5.4-liter V8 engine, good for 550-horsepower and a top speed of around 205 mph.