Ford GT Heritage 2006, Estados Unidos

Ford GT Heritage 2006, Estados Unidos
Fotografia

As part of the Ford Motor Company centennial celebration, the company debuted the retro-styled GT. A modern homage to Ford’s racing heritage, the GT celebrated the highly successful GT40 program of the 1960s, which won Le Mans an impressive four consecutive years from 1966 to 1969. Exceedingly popular since its debut, the GT went into production for the 2005 and 2006 model years, during which time only 4,033 examples were built.

In addition to the stunning design, the Ford GT featured impressive performance, the likes of which had not been seen from a production car built in Detroit. Powered by a 5.4-liter DOHC V-8 engine and equipped with a Lysholm twin-screw supercharger, the GT is rated at 550 hp and 500 foot-pounds of torque. The engine is paired to Ricardo six-speed manual transmission featuring a helical limited-slip differential. This driveline allows the Ford GT to achieve a 205-mph top speed and 0–60 sprint of 3.3 seconds. These extraordinary performance figures put the car in competition with other supercars of the time, such as the Porsche Carrera GT and the Mercedes-McLaren SLR. For the final model year, 2006, Ford introduced a limited production Heritage edition. Finished in Heritage Blue with Epic Orange stripes, the cars featured four white roundels to which the owner could add a number of their liking. The rare livery was inspired by the double-Le Mans–winning GT40 of 1968 and 1969 which famously featured Gulf Oil sponsorship.

This 2006 Ford GT holds the unique title of being the final Heritage example built. While there are later chassis numbers listed in the SAAC registry, those cars were built in August, while this car was completed on 11 September 2006, making it the final such Heritage GT. It was sold new through Courtesy Ford Lincoln of London, Ontario, Canada. Finished in the iconic Heritage Blue with Epic Orange stripes with the blank roundels having since been emblazoned with the number three. Outfitted with three options, the car features forged alloy BBS wheels, grey-painted brake calipers, and, of course, the Heritage livery. While the Ebony leather interior originally featured the standard radio it has since been upgraded with a modern Clarion unit with Bluetooth capabilities.

A two-owner example, this GT has covered 5,400 miles from new. In 2008, the car’s front bumper cover was repainted due to minor a scuff, for which the invoice is included on file. From 2011 to 2020 the GT was maintained by Brown Bros. Ford Lincoln in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the most recent service highlighted by the installation of new tires in March 2020. Included with the car is the window sticker, owner’s manuals, select service records, air compressor, car cover, and Ford GT duffel bag. Additionally, the car retains select delivery stickers and tags from new.

The Ford GT is an exceptional example of Ford’s “pace car for an entire company.” A rare car to begin with, 2,011 GTs were produced for 2006; of those, only 343 were delivered in the Heritage livery. This three-option Heritage edition is a stunning example, one made a bit more special by the fact that it holds the unique distinction of being the final Heritage GT built for 2006.