Greatly inspired by the GT40 from the 1960s, the GT90 concept from the 1995 Detroit Auto Show never materialized into a series-production supercar. Ford Motor Company gave it another try with the GT40 concept from the 2002 Detroit Auto Show. On this occasion, the Dearborn-based automaker decided to make a series-production supercar to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The driver-side headlight of the first-generation Ford GT reads 100, and the funny thing is that Ford's original GT came out a year after the manufacturer's centenary. Henry Ford incorporated Ford Motor Company in June 1903, whereas the GT started rolling off the line in June 2004 for the 2005 model year. A little over 4,000 units were produced, with final assembly taking place at the Wixom plant. Unfortunately, the Wixom facility was closed in 2007 and demolished in 2012.
Hugely collectible nowadays, the V8-powered GT would be succeeded by a very different machine at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Enter the second-gen Ford GT, which is even rarer than the first. Only 1,350 units of the carbon-clad supercar were assembled in Canada by the folks at Multimatic rather than FoMoCo.
Developed from the outset with endurance racing in mind, the V6-engined GT came first in the LM GTE-Pro class at the 2016 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Emphasis on first in class rather than first overall, a feat that only the GT40 managed no fewer than four times between 1966 and 1969.
Although it's not exactly strange for a well-off gent to own both generations of the GT, said twins are rarely seen together. Currently listed on Bring a Trailer, chassis numbers 1FAFP90S26Y401075 and 2FAGP9CW1JH100111 are low-mileage supercars with immaculate specs. First and foremost, the 2006 model year GT shows a little under 90 miles on the clock, whereas the 2018 model year GT has racked up 10 kilometers or 6 miles.
Photo: Engineered on Bring a Trailer
It seldom gets better than this, and not surprising in the least, both cars have garnered a lot of interest on Bring a Trailer. 1FAFP90S26Y401075 sits on a high bid of $376,000 with seven days of bidding left, whereas the seller has been offered $700,000 for the newer model. So far, that is, because said pair will certainly spark a bidding showdown.
Located in Canada, said GTs are finished in white in combination with painted blue stripes. Offered with accident-free history reports and Ontario registrations in lieu of titles, these fabulous mid-engine sensations are offered with – of course – their window stickers. For the 2006 model, which features the pricey McIntosh stereo and lightweight forged aluminum wheels, the Monroney label shows a final price of $166,945 (including destination charge and gas-guzzler fee). Adjusted for inflation, that means $260,080.
2FAGP9CW1JH100111 is quite a bit pricier at $693,500 out the door, split between $590,000 for the base price, $98,500 for optional extras, and a whopping $5,000 for the destination fee. Its most expensive option is the Dark Energy Interior Upgrade Package at – please sit down – $37,300.
There's no telling whether Ford will ever develop a third generation of the GT, especially now that Multimatic is busy producing the Mustang GTD. Equipped with a 5.2-liter supercharged V8, the S650-generation Mustang GTD is punchier than the V6-engined GT, for it packs over 800 horsepower compared to 647 for pre-2020 models and 660 ponies for 2020 through 2022 models.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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