From January 21 through 29, Barrett-Jackson will take over Westworld in Scottsdale, Ariz., with the auction house’s largest event of the year—a Who’s Who of collector cars and collectors. Of all the sports cars, hot rods and everything in between, one luminary of the proceedings, the Ford GT, is a current favorite among well-heeled enthusiasts. The Ford GT was built as a race car, and the street-legal versions are practically the same as their motorsport siblings. Little more than finished interiors distinguish them from the track stars that dominated Le Mans when Ford’s then-new GT took the victory podium as overall winner in the GTE Class, exactly 50 years after the Blue Oval beat Ferrari in 1966, pulling a hat trick with the iconic GT40.
“The Ford GT is a striking car that is very popular among collectors and enthusiasts due to its rarity and racing pedigree,” says Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “As both the race and street models were built from the same chassis, the link between the two versions is unique in an era of purpose-built competition cars. Given that the car is now no longer in production after the 2022 model year, this Ford GT Carbon Series, crossing the Scottsdale auction block with no reserve, is a great opportunity to own a truly special car.”
And Jackson is right, because few people had the opportunity to acquire a Ford GT throughout its production run. When released in 2016, the model had a starting price of $453,750, but most people desiring to acquire one never stood a chance. Initial plans called for building 1,000 examples (ultimately about 1,350 were made) with first dibs going to Ford executives and VIPs. Mere mortals adjudged worthy by Ford’s vetting tribunal had to submit video résumés, racing accomplishments and even social-media ratings. With demand far outstripping supply, the Ford GT was a competition car in more ways than one.
The program for the Ford GT began in 2013, code-named Project Phoenix. Aiming to build a world-class race car, Ford engineers focused on the vehicle’s engine and aerodynamics, underpinned with new applications of lightweight carbon fiber to prove the endurance and efficiency of the design—both for competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and use on the highway.
Ford Performance headed development in a collaboration of formerly independent divisions comprising Ford SVT, Team RS, Ford Racing and Performance Vehicle Parts. Manufacturing was done in Toronto, Canada, at Multimatic, Ford’s partner specializing in complex systems for road and race applications. The model’s design was a radical departure from the expected, using Ford’s EcoBoost technology in a compact 3.5-liter aluminum V-6 that was developed in tandem with the F-150 Raptor pickup truck.
In street trim, the first Ford GTs made 647 hp at 6,250 rpm—upped to 660 hp for 2020—with 550 ft lbs of torque at 5,900 rpm through a Getrag seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The “truck engine that won Le Mans” achieved horsepower and torque on par with higher displacement, normally aspirated engines. It did so by combining anti-lag turbocharging with direct fuel injection. The supercar’s top speed is 216 mph and, according to Barrett-Jackson, “it can achieve zero-to-60 mph in 3 seconds or less”.
This specific GT, with Chassis No. L173, is a limited-edition Carbon Series—a variant that was only offered to select Ford customers. Finished in Frozen White, it is equipped with $35,500 in factory options, including the Carbon Blue Graphics Package featuring a blue stripe down the center of an exposed single carbon-fiber stripe, and exposed-carbon-fiber side-view mirror caps. And the weight-saving titanium exhaust system was standard on the Carbon Series cars.
The use of carbon fiber is ubiquitous throughout the interior, including an F1-inspired carbon-fiber steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara with an integrated LED rev indicator. The car’s motorsport aesthetic is underscored by the six-point racing harnesses with anchors, as well as the Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes with blue calipers that can be glimpsed behind exposed-carbon-fiber wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Showing only 32 miles on the odometer, it is likely the freshest Ford GT Carbon Series to come to market.
Click here to see photos of the 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series offered through Barrett-Jackson.
