2006 Ford GT

This Ford GT was supplied to Autofair Ford of Manchester, New Hampshire in January 2006. Its 5.4L DOHC supercharged V8 can develop 558 PS and 678 Nm torque, which is capable of catapulting its 1581 kg from 0-62 mph in just 3.8 seconds and on to a theoretical top speed of 205 mph.

We say “can develop”, “is capable of” and “theoretical” because at just 43 miles, this particular car has barely been driven anywhere, let alone taken out for a good road or track test.

It is what’s known as a “four option car”. In their generosity, Ford only had four additional tick-boxes on the order sheet - everything else being standard - and the specifier of this car ticked them all: racing stripes, red brake callipers, BBS wheels and a McIntosh stereo.

But how did this car get from New England to old England? Well, so the story goes, a Spanish dealer missed out on an allocation from the 101 Ford of Europe cars and in early 2006 started to ring around Ford dealerships in America, managing to buy 6 cars in three different colours. He had them shipped to Europe and converted by Roush to the 101 EU specification.

For reasons unknown, the dealer then squirrelled them away until 2014 when Ford GT specialist GT101 bought four of them. Based in Colchester, GT101 is owned and run by David Jones who led the engineering project to convert the official 101 cars supplied by Ford of Europe in 2005.

It was imported into the UK, NOVA declaration made and all taxes paid but never registered with the DVLA. As far as we understand, the car has had one previous UK guardian who bought it from GT101 before ownership passed to our vendor in August 2020.

The car is finished in what Ford refer to as “Mk IV Red Clearcoat” - a tribute to the 1967 Le Mans 24h win of Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt in a red Mk IV GT40. The livery is completed by Centennial White racing stripes both longitudinally over the top and along each flank - the first of the four factory options for the GT.

Needless to say for a car that’s well-travelled but barely driven, the condition of the paint and bodywork is museum quality.

Although slightly larger than the original GT40, the overall shape and a number of design details are heavily-inspired by the ‘60s racer. From the front, the taper of the wings, faired headlamps, bonnet air ducts and the large rectangular radiator grille. From the side, the long nose, low roof and side air intakes behind the doors and atop the muscular rear haunches. All of which finish in a diffuser-like rake to the short tail; inset with two large round rear light clusters either side of the engine and exhaust vent.

One other design feature of note is that when viewed front on, the three elements of the left-hand headlamp read 100 - in reference to Ford’s centenary.

The car sits on forged BBS aluminium wheels - the second factory option - 18” at the front and 19” at the rear, all shod with original specification Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres. Through the wheels you can see the large vented brake discs with bright red-painted callipers - the third factory option.

The interior is clothed with Ebony leather across the seats, steering wheel rim, dash and door trims with an aluminium finish to the switchgear, transmission linkage tunnel and other design accents. The seats are ventilated and backed with carbon fibre shells. Everything presents in good order with just the occasional blemish; such as specks on the steering wheel centre badge and a light scratch on the passenger seat base.

The gear shifter is a simple ball and stick with a rubber gaiter and denotes the standard double-H pattern for the six-speed Ricardo manual transmission which drives the rear wheels through a helical limited-slip differential.

In the centre console we find the fourth and final factory option - the McIntosh CD Radio - which is connected to twin speakers in each door and a thumping 8-inch sub-woofer on the bulkhead between the seats.

For those unfamiliar with the maker, McIntosh is a premium audio company founded in the US in the late 1940s which specialises in high-power, low-distortion amplifiers. Apparently the famous 1969 Woodstock festival was powered by McIntosh amps. Ironically by 1990 it became Japanese-owned and then Italian a decade ago, but is still regarded as an all-American brand.

Underneath the front-hinged trunk, a rigid liner establishes a relatively small luggage space - enough for a decent overnight bag at least - which also houses stowage for the tyre inflator and its OEM tailored car cover. Removing the lining reveals the majority of the ancillaries for routine maintenance: radiator, wash bottle and the steering and brake fluid reservoirs along with the battery.

Most of the car’s underbody is protected by undertrays which also provide a flat floor for enhanced aerodynamic performance combined with the rear diffuser. All appear in good condition with just watermarks from recent washing. All the mechanicals on show - such as the suspension components and steering linkages - look immaculate with no apparent damage or corrosion.

The rear engine cover hinges backwards just forward of the tail and is stayed by strong gas struts. Lifting it reveals the mighty mid-mounted V8 motor with the Lysholm twin-screw supercharger sat on top. As with the rest of the car, the power plant and its fittings look clean and factory-fresh and the marque-appropriate blue cam covers combine with the aluminium bracing and chromed filler caps to give a very pleasing look to the engine bay.

Although not extensive, the car’s history file includes the Certificate of Origin and title documents and tracks the car’s passage from New Hampshire to Spain and into the UK.

A letter from HMRC confirms that the NOVA was completed in 2014 and the VAT paid. As yet the vehicle hasn’t been registered with the DVLA but should someone wish to take the car onto the road, all is ready for the registration application.

We’ve not driven the car - nor even fired it up - such is the need to preserve its virtually brand-new condition. We suspect that this car is likely to find its way into a private collection where it will continue to remain so. Should a new owner want to be able to take it out, it would surely be worth a call to GT101 to give it a light once-over and commission it for road use.

This car is a beautiful example of the highly desirable, fully-equipped four option Ford GT and one of only a few hundred 2006 MY cars globally in red with full racing stripes. It is considered one of the last of the truly analogue supercars and its performance is on a par with the contemporary Porsche Carrera GT and the Mercedes-McLaren SLR.

Given that this is effectively a 16-year old brand new car with delivery mileage - we estimate it will sell for between £345,000 and £400,000. That’s comparable to a similar mileage SLR but way cheaper than any Carrera GT.

Whether you’re a fan of the racing exploits of Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren or the luckless Ken Miles, this Ford GT is not only a fitting tribute to the all-conquering GT40 but also a thumping sports car in its own right.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.