Not the new Ford GT of course, this is the one from last the last decade that first hit the world in 2004. The model on offer from Silverstone Auctions is from 2005 however, and belonged to someone rather special. In case you couldn’t guess by the title, this GT was once owned by ex-Formula 1 driver Jenson Button.
Finished in white with blue ‘go faster’ stripes, this GT was one of only 101 delivered to Europe, but it was also one of only five that were marked ‘VIP’ by Ford. I imagine one of the others was the one that belonged to one Jeremy Clarkson and we all know how that went. That aside though, this GT may have been produced in 2005 but it wasn’t registered in the UK until the next year as Button had the car originally delivered to Switzerland.
American Muscle
That’s the boring stuff though, what about the power? Mounted in the middle of the two seater GT is a hand-built, supercharged quad-cam V8 engine, which produces 550bhp. This is then mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and together they are able to propel the big, loud American to 60mph in just 3.5 seconds. Top speed comes in at 205mph, which is still respectable to this day, let alone 12 years ago.
“The Ford GT is part of a rare class of modern cars that instantly become collectable, and have become more and more sought after,” explains Will Smith, sales manager, Silverstone Auctions.
“Given its inimitable heritage, prolific performance, stunning design, and thrilling driving experience, the Ford GT is a very special creation that will undoubtedly be revered for many years to come. In addition, it was once Jenson Button’s very own, adding even more exciting provenance and collectability to this particular example.”
The GT will go under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro Sale on the 25th and 26th of February. The price? Oh that will be a cool £250,000-£300,000.
