The first 2017 Ford GT to be resold after its sales embargo’s end has netted $1,540,000 at a no-reserve auction in Las Vegas.
The car in question was a limited-run ’66 Heritage Edition model, bearing a livery copied from the Chris Amon- and Bruce McLaren-driven GT40 that led a one-two-three finish for Ford at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was signed on the auction block by Joey Hand, who captained a Ford GT to a historic class win at Le Mans in 2016.
Outside of a Ford-sanctioned sale earlier this year, modern Ford GTs have rarely changed hands since their launch in 2016. Ford forced GT buyers to sign an agreement that they wouldn’t try to resell their cars for two years after purchase to discourage scalping, and has aggressively pursued those who thought themselves above the document they signed. Professional wrestler John Cena drew Ford’s ire after listing his GT for sale and tapped out of the ensuing lawsuit.
Ford’s anti-flipping measures evidently still didn’t work, as the former owner of this 2017 GT walked away from their car’s sale close to a million dollars richer (the GT originally sold for about $450,000). Seeing as the car’s odometer read fewer than 30 miles at the time of its sale, it’s likely that reselling this GT was the original buyer’s plan all along. Automakers hate feeling like they’ve missed out on extra profit when it comes to low-volume models such as this, so don’t be surprised if the next Ford GT—should it be built—arrives with a much higher price tag down the line.