An ultra-rare Ford GT prototype has surfaced and gears up to be sold at auction later this month.
Since the moment it was released, the Ford GT has remained a highly sought-after collector car with good examples often selling for twice their original retail price. The GT, which was modelled after the legendary GT40 from the 1960s, was produced for just two model years in 2005 and 2006.
The first running and driveable prototype GT from 2003 has emerged and is being put up for auction. It’s called the CP-1, which stands for Confirmation Prototype 1 and features a handful of experimental components which never made it into production.
The CP-1 (VIN004) is equipped with non-standard components including air bags from a Mustang, a steering column from a Ford Windstar van, silver trim pieces, all-aluminium headliner and a note printed on the center console that instructs test drivers to ‘push red button to start’.
The car also features bespoke quick-release valves on the right quarter-panel that allows quick changes of fuel grades, and the rear bumper boasts a set of experimental exhaust pipes that incorporate a ‘sniffer pipe’; a component that was used by engineers to determine engine emissions during testing.
It will be offered at the Russo and Steele auction on January 18-22 in the US.