Tour a portion of Ford’s heritage vehicle collection in Dearborn
Ford Motor Co. is displaying some of its famous heritage vehicle collection at its headquarters building in Dearborn, Michigan.
- Ford Motor Co. and Barrett-Jackson will auction off the 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition Production No. 3 on Saturday.
- This vehicle, one of only approximately 4,000 built, was never driven and was owned solely by Ford Motor Company.
- Ford plans to use the proceeds to maintain and restore its current Heritage fleet.
For the first time ever, Ford Motor Company will open its private vehicle storage facility to auction rare supercars to the public.
The plan is to use all the money raised from the car’s auction to refurbish and maintain other cars in Ford’s heritage fleet, as well as prepare a GT collection in the UK for next year’s Le Mans. Ford also said on October 13 that it may be the first of its kind to be sold to the public.
On Saturday, October 18, at approximately 4:00 p.m. ET, Barrett-Jackson Auction Company and Ford will auction off 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition Production No. 3 (Lot #1026) during the Scottsdale Fall Auction at Westworld in Scottsdale, Arizona. The car will be put up for auction with ‘no reserve’. This is the earliest Heritage Edition ever released to the public.
“No reserve means the item will be sold to the highest bidder. Proceeds from the sale will be used to restore and maintain the Ford Heritage fleet,” Ford spokesman Harry Robinson told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Oct. 13.
In March, Ford gave the Detroit Free Press and several other companies a sneak peek at about 50 of the 500 vehicles in Ford’s Heritage fleet. Ford stores about 175 of them in a huge garage at Ford World Headquarters on Michigan Avenue.
A 2018 Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric prototype is on display in one corner of the garage. The vehicle is famous for towing more than 1 million pounds of freight cars in a 2019 TV commercial. There’s a 1938 V8 ambulance used by the Belmar, New Jersey, emergency department, a precursor to today’s highly profitable police vehicle business at Ford. These include the 50th Anniversary Edition Mustang that famously climbed to the top of the Empire State Building. In addition to the Dearborn Collection, other vehicles are stored at Ford locations in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
“When we announced the Ford Heritage Fleet earlier this year, we knew we had some great vehicles that are reproductions and beyond our collection range,” Ted Ryan, Ford Heritage and Brand Manager, said in a statement. “Thanks to our partners at Barrett-Jackson, we are offering a 2006 Heritage Edition No. 3 Ford GT in Epic Orange and Heritage Blue.”
Ryan added that the sale of the Ford GT “is the first of several vehicles that will benefit great cars that have been identified for permanent preservation in the Ford Heritage Fleet,” hinting that Ford may sell more vehicles from the collection.
This weekend is “Automotive History”
Barrett-Jackson describes the car as “the earliest example of the 2006 GT Heritage Edition ever offered to the public.” Separately, Barrett-Jackson will also auction off a licensed 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor 25th Anniversary Limited Edition and a 1969 Ford Bronco at the event. Two more GTs will also be up for auction.
But this auction is special given that the 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition Production No. 3 is exclusively owned and used by Ford and is the first Heritage Edition model offered to the public.
“We look forward to making automotive history with Ford Motor Company at the Scottsdale Fall Auction,” Craig Jackson, CEO of Barrett-Jackson, said in a statement. “Ford is opening its vaults to the public to offer an incredible vehicle: the 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition Production No. 3. This vehicle is part of the Blue Oval and Shelby’s sensational collection of vehicles that represent the best of American automotive performance and design.”
As for how much the car will fetch at auction, Barrett-Jackson spokesman Scott Black told the Detroit Free Press, “Barrett-Jackson does not provide estimates or values for vehicles on the block. There are three generations of street and racing Ford GTs: 1964-1969, 2005-2006, and 2017-2022.”
The fact that Heritage Fleet’s GT is in like-new condition means it could sell for between $800,000 and $1 million, John Wiley, director of valuation and analysis at classic car insurance company Hagerty, told the Detroit Free Press.
Ford said the car has 8,435 miles on its odometer as journalists have driven it for years.
Wylie added that Barrett-Jackson is good at bringing excitement to his vehicles, so the car could fetch much more than his estimate of $800,000 to $1 million.
According to a press release for Barrett-Jackson’s Fall 2024 Auction, a 2006 Ford GT (lot number 758) sold for $423,500. But rare and unique cars can fetch even more, such as Sammy Hagar’s The Red Rocker, a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari (lot number 760), which sold for a whopping $4.675 million at the same auction.
At the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Fall Auction, a 2005 Ford GT Hennessey 1000 (lot number 725) sold for $495,000 and a 2005 Ford GT (lot number 735) sold for $418,000.
Specific uses of proceeds by Ford
Wiley said it’s not common for automakers to sell cars from private collections, but when they do, they usually make a hefty profit.
In May 2022, Mercedes-Benz sold a 1955 300SLR Uhlenhout Coupe from a private collection for a world record $143 million at an invitation-only auction by RM Sotheby’s in Germany. This car was one of only two built. The funds were used to establish a scholarship fund.
In Europe, too, some subsidiaries of imported automakers have sold traditional vehicles entirely, either because they need the money or because they can no longer afford to maintain the cars, Wiley said.
“For Ford, I don’t think it’s because they need money to buy a car,” Wiley said. “If they announce they’re selling 100 cars, it might mean they need the money, but one car means nothing.”
He said Ford has auctioned off some of its concept cars in the past. The 2004 Ford Shelby Cobra concept car, affectionately known as Daisy, sold for $2.64 million at the 2021 Mecum Auction, with Ford keeping the proceeds, Wiley said. He said the GT is not as unique as this Cobra concept.
Ford’s Ryan told the Free Press how much profit Ford hopes to make on the sale of the vehicles, the annual cost of repairing and maintaining the heritage fleet, and if Ford finds itself in a dire predicament where it needs to sell assets to raise money to maintain the vehicles.
“We don’t typically share specific internal numbers when it comes to sales price or restoration costs. Our main goal here is not to hit a specific dollar amount, but really to make sure this great piece of Ford history goes to someone who will cherish and preserve it for years to come. It’s more about its heritage than just a ledger for us,” Ryan said.
Ryan said Ford has a large and rich fleet of heritage vehicles and “as part of prudent management, we occasionally make strategic decisions about which vehicles will best thrive with private collectors.”
He said that by selling certain vehicles, the automaker can focus resources on other heritage projects, future innovations and continued management of the remaining collection.
“In fact, a portion of the proceeds from this sale will be used to restore the Ford of England GT Collection to a 60 year model and in great running condition.th “Next year is Le Mans Anniversary, and this is a deliberate choice to ensure these historic assets continue to be celebrated,” Ryan said.
He described the vehicle as “the embodiment of our racing heritage.”
Features of this car
A Barrett-Jackson media release describes the car as being “finished in the iconic Gulf Oil livery” of Epic Orange and Heritage Blue, which pays homage to Ford’s racing heritage.
It’s powered by a supercharged V8 engine that produces 550 horsepower and 500 ft/lbs of torque, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. Barrett-Jackson said the sale includes a certificate of authenticity and the original “build book” that records the car’s construction from start to finish.
Ford added that at the time of the GT’s release, various media reported that the GT could do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, hit the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds, and had a top speed of over 200 mph. The automaker says only 4,038 Ford GTs were produced from 2005 to 2006, making it a desirable vehicle.
“As a final farewell to the iconic supercar, Ford has developed the Epic Orange and Heritage Blue Heritage Package for the 2006 model year,” Ford writes about the car. “The Heritage Paint livery is reminiscent of the Le Mans-winning Ford GT racer sponsored by JW Automotive/American Gulf Oil.”
Ford said the Heritage Package was a $13,000 option that was only available on 343 cars because of the time and effort involved in painting the cars with intricate designs and multiple colors.
Also, while the car’s four white “roundels” were painted, the Heritage package included a box with the car containing black vinyl numbers from 0 to 9 for the customer to apply the number of their choice.
“One of the most memorable looks in Ford racing history, the Heritage Package’s unique paint scheme makes it the most desired and sought-after Ford GT version today,” Ford said in a news release.
What else might be in the vault?
Ryan said Ford’s history began in a garage, with Henry Ford building a four-wheeler in his home in 1896. Now, 129 years later, Ford is honoring that legacy with the Heritage Fleet.
However, until last year, historic vehicles were scattered around the world with no central organization.
“At the request of Ford CEO Jim Farley, we began searching for historic vehicles we already owned to understand the breadth of our collection,” Ryan said. “We created the Ford Heritage Fleet as a valuable resource for designers and engineers to draw inspiration from the best of the company’s past to shape its future.”
The Ford Heritage Collection is dedicated to chronicling Ford’s history, from its people to its key innovations, design breakthroughs, racing milestones and the company’s role in popular culture.
“This also serves as inspiration for the next generation of vehicles at Ford,” Ryan said in the release. “Opening the Ford Heritage Fleet will allow us to share a tangible part of our performance history directly with the enthusiasts who cherish it most.”
Ryan said this 2006 Ford GT provides an opportunity for someone to own a piece of Ford history and help preserve the rest of the collection.
But if you miss your chance to get this car, there may or may not be more, Hagerty’s Mr. Wiley said. Or maybe Ford decided it didn’t need or want to sell any other cars. ”
Anyone interested in bidding on the Ford GT Production No. 3 can register at www.barrett-jackson.com/bidders.
Jamie L. Lareau is a senior auto writer covering Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jalalean. To sign up for our automotive newsletter. become a subscriber
