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Production and Sales of Ford GT |
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Written by Erik
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Monday, 17 September 2007 |
Production startup began in spring 2004. The first customers took delivery in September 2004. The GT began assembly and was painted by Saleen in their Saleen Special Vehicles facility in Troy, Michigan. The GT is powered by an engine built at Ford's Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Michigan. Installation of the engine and transmission along with interior finishing was handled in the SVT building at Ford's Wixom, Michigan plant.
Of the 4,500 GTs originally planned, approximately 100 were to be exported to Europe, starting in late 2005. An additional 200 were destined for sale in Canada. When production ended in 2006, the full planned lot of 4500 were not produced. Approximately 550 were built in 2004, nearly 1900 in 2005, and just over 1600 in 2006, for a grand total of 4038; however, the final 11 car bodies manufactured by Mayflower Vehicle Systems were disassembled and the frames and body panels sold as service parts.
As with many highly desirable new vehicles, when the Ford GT was first released, the demand severely outpaced supply, and the cars initially sold for premium prices. The first unit available to the public sold at a charity auction for over $500,000 to a retired Microsoft executive. Other early cars sold for as much as a $300,000 premium over the suggested retail price range of $450,000 to $700,000 depending on selected optional equipment. Starting in 2007, the average price for a new Ford GT was down to $100,000. By June 2005, retail sale prices had dropped to around $10,000 to $20,000 over MSRP, and in August 2005 several new GTs were sold on eBay for no more than the suggested retail price. Nevertheless, recognizing that there was ongoing demand and support for the car, Ford raised the base sticker by $10,000 to $150,000 in late 2007.
The production run of the GT ended with the 2006 model year on 21 September 2006, with 4038 cars produced [1] out of an originally-planned 4500, and the Wixom Assembly plant, where the GT was finish-assembled, is scheduled for closure in 2007 and as stopped production of all models as of May 31, 2007[1]. Sales of the GT continued into 2007, from cars held in storage and in dealer inventories.
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