Ford Motor Company created the GT to celebrate the automaker’s 100th anniversary. Its development coincided with a wave of both fresh thinking and retro-inspired styling that resulted in several nameplates reappearing in the product line. The GT40 concept, upon which the Ford GT was based, debuted at the North American International Auto Show in 2002. In both design and name, it paid tribute to the company’s legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning GT40 racer of four decades prior.

By the end of 2004, production had begun on the low-slung, mid-engine supercar, which was by then simply called the “GT”. Each one started life in Norwalk, Ohio and was completed at Ford’s own SVT facility in Michigan. At its heart was Ford’s all-aluminium 5.4-litre V-8 engine equipped with a Lysholm twin-screw supercharger, capable of producing 550 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. A top speed of 330 km/h and a 0–100 km/h sprint of 3.3 seconds elevated the GT into the same echelon as other period supercars such as the Porsche Carrera GT and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Just over 4,000 examples were built from 2004 to 2006, with 2,011 completed for the 2006 model year.

One of 348 finished in Mark IV Red for the model year, this GT was delivered via Lone Star Ford of Texas, according to the accompanying Deluxe Marti Report. It was registered in the state of Utah. A “four-option” car, it is equipped with BBS forged wheels, Red brake callipers, full racing stripes in White, and the McIntosh Audiophile stereo system. Further, “hot button” simulated grommets have been installed on the seats—a popular (and if so desired, reversible) aftermarket upgrade that makes the car’s interior more closely resemble that of the original 2002 Ford GT40 concept, as well as the classic racing cars that inspired it.

By 2017 the GT was titled in the state of Alaska, though it departed for a collection in Switzerland that same year and it now resides in the United Arab Emirates. While certainly well-travelled, it has spent very little time on the road: At the time of cataloguing its odometer displayed just 111 miles, making it a superb example for further presentation within a collection of significant supercars. Conversely, it represents a compelling opportunity to experience a practically undriven Ford GT nearly two decades after production ceased.

As technology has advanced and numerous supercars have come and gone, the Ford GT remains eminently exciting—highly sought-after for its stunning design, impressive driving dynamics and, perhaps most of all, its raw appeal as a high-performance homage to Ford’s legendary racing pedigree.