For the first time in company history, Ford is putting one of its own cars on the auction block.
The 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition, finished in that iconic Gulf livery and owned by the Blue Oval since it rolled off the line, heads to Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event on October 18.
This isn’t just any corporate throwaway. It’s the opening salvo in Ford’s push to preserve and maintain its entire Heritage Fleet, a collection of nearly 500 vehicles representing 128 years of automotive achievement.
This particular GT is the third Heritage Edition ever built, specifically created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s legendary 1-2-3 Le Mans finish in 1966.
That victory went on to inspire the entire first-generation GT, which emerged in 2004 as a modern homage to those glory days.
Only 4,038 production examples were ever made, with just 343 carrying the Heritage Edition designation.
This one saw duty as a media and marketing vehicle, which means it’s done the rounds at press events and driven by writers who, let’s be honest, can occasionally treat borrowed cars like they’re rental fleet specials.
The damage history reflects this. A Carfax incident in late 2005 shows a rear impact, followed by an October 2006 off-road adventure into a ditch that dinged the undercarriage.
Both were repaired, though, and with only 8,345 miles on the odometer and a comprehensive build book documenting its entire history from factory floor onwards, the GT remains a legitimate collectible with serious credentials.
Under the hood sits a 5.4-liter V8 pumping out 550 horsepower through a six-speed manual.
Straightforward, mechanical, uncompromised. The sort of hardware that defined American supercar ambitions before turbos and electric everything became the fashion.
A Heritage Edition GT recently fetched $850,000 on Bring A Trailer, and with this one’s lower mileage and the media buzz from being the first Ford Heritage Fleet car to reach public auction, expect bidders to get serious.
Proceeds go directly toward preserving the rest of Ford’s collection, which now includes everything from original Model Ts through to the F-150 Lightning that carried President Biden around.
Sometimes even the biggest companies have to make tough choices in their garage.
