Year: 2004
Make: FORD
Model: GT PROTOTYPE (CP-1)
Stock 1311E
Vin: 1FAFP90SX4Y400004
Our family and car collector buddy Uncle Jan has his hands on an astounding piece of automotive history. It is offered for sale for a cool $1m.
A little background: During the Great Recession, Ford decided to raise some cash to ride out the financial crisis; they sold everything not nailed down, including a number of things which, after the storm passed, they probably regret. Foremost amongst these sells was the first fully powered Ford GT CP-1 Prototype.
The first 3 GTs were “unpowered” — meaning, no engines or transmissions — essentially rolling design studies (all are in the Ford Museum in Dearborn).
Car # 5 went to a gentleman named Carol Shelby (yes, that Shelby).
This is car # 4. This car, with VIN# 004, was the first prototype Ford GT fitted with a full drivetrain and interior. CP-1 is offered with factory build sheets and documentation, and remains fitted with test connections and monitoring equipment used in road and Emissions Certification testing. While the true mileage is unknown, the car is known to have been evaluated on the road and dyno and includes an engine hour meter.
Its informally known as CP-1, or Confirmation Prototype 1, and built in 2003 as part of the development phase of Fords highly anticipated tribute to its Le Mans-winning GT40 racecar from the 1960s. It has a fully known provenance, and is the first fully-functional Ford GT prototype.
CP-1 is an important piece of Ford history. The car is autographed by thirteen members of the original GT design team including Carroll Shelby, Bill Ford, GT Chief Designer Camillo Pardo, GT Chief Design Engineer Fred Goodnow, and others. In 2008, CP-1 was purchased from Ford by a respected GT collector and author of the definitive book on the reborn Ford GT.
The engine compartment on CP1 is fitted with a carbon fiber rear clamshell that dramatically reduced curb weight. However, when Ford execs learned that each clamshell would cost approximately $45,000 to produce, the idea was scrapped in favor of a more traditional, and far less expensive, aluminum tub. The motor has a prominent black supercharger and valve covers, which were replaced in production by a silver blower and traditional ford Blue valve covers.
The CP1 has a fully functional powertrain, and the car has a 17-digit VIN, prior to the sale in 2008 Ford engineers installed a chip in the engine to limit top speed to 5 mph. The car is sold on a bill of sale.
Contact Uncle Jan at Jan-at-thebigpictureblog.com or call 631-584-5655. Tell ’em Barry sent you.
More snaps after the jump . . .
