The Ford GT Supercar Keeps Increasing in Value
When then-CEO Bill Ford made the decision back in the late 1990s to resurrect the Ford GT supercar for production, little did he know the success that was in store. The car was intended to be a tribute to the original Ford GT40 that won the famed 24-Hours of Le Mans four years in a row in the 1960s. It was also meant to commemorate Ford’s 100-year anniversary of vehicle production in 2003. The first Ford GTs were ready just in time, and met with universal praise and awe in the automotive world.
The production run of the Ford GT supercar was designed to be short-lived, with only 4,038 vehicles made during their three years of manufacture from 2004 to 2006. All of them were sold as model-year 2005 or 2006 cars, and the initial MSRP ranged from $140,000 to around $165,000. Actual selling prices for the Ford GT – America’s first genuine supercar – were much higher though, with reports that early models brought as much as a $100,000 premium over the MSRP.
How Much an Early Ford GT is Worth Today
Early buyers of the spectacular Ford GT supercars were a mixed group, with many racing enthusiasts and celebrities alike clamoring for the cars. One thing is sure though, no one who has kept their GT through today has any regrets. Even those who ponied up the extra premium for their GT supercar at the time have experienced an enviable increase in the value of their vehicles.
We doubt that any of the early buyers of the Ford GT considered their purchase to be an appreciating investment, yet one of the early production cars (serial number 3 to be exact) recently sold for more than $600,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Other Ford GTs that have sold – when owners can be convinced to part with them – have gone for at least twice their original sticker price. In fact, they are the only American production car made since the turn of the century that has actually increased in value.
The Ford GT Appeal
In addition to be an astonishingly beautiful sports car, the 2005 and 2006 Ford GT is a true supercar in every sense of the word. Made of high-strength carbon fiber with aluminum body panels, the Ford GT weighs in at around 3,400 pounds. It’s powered by a mid-chassis mounted 5.4-liter all-aluminum V8 that is supercharged to deliver 550-horsepower and more than 500 lb-ft. of torque. With its 6-speed manual transmission, the resulting performance was nothing short of impressive.
Independently verified performance numbers have the GT doing zero to 60 in as little as 3.5 seconds, and zero to 100 in just 7.4 seconds. The speed to 150 mph is just 16.9 seconds, and the top speed is governed electronically at an impressive 205 miles an hour.
The Next Generation
With its success, we might wonder why Ford hasn’t decided to follow up with a new generation of GT supercars. Well, wonder no longer. The newest addition to the GT supercar family was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, and is scheduled to be available in late 2016 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the famed 1966 win at Le Mans. The all-new Ford GT will be powered by a twin-turbo V6 that will deliver even more power than the previous GT, at more than 600-horsepower.
For the Athens-areas racing enthusiasts out there, get your name on the list early. Let us know if you are interested in this new legend-in-the-making, and we’ll do our best to get one for you when they become available. For now, all we can do is wait patiently. But don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted on the latest Ford GT news as it comes in.
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