Karl on Cars

Let's Talk Cars, Motorcycles and Other Life-Changing Events

Month: April 2018 Page 1 of 2

My 2005 Ford GT Factory Tour

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On April 30, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

Ford GT Factory Tour

Completed Ford GTs at the Wixom Assembly Plant

In June of 2005, about 8 weeks after ordering my Ford GT, I got a call from my Ford contact. He had promised to let me visit the Ford GT assembly plant in Detroit while my car was being built, and he said he’d give me about a week’s notice so I could schedule travel. Well, that was the plan anyway. When he finally did call the first words out of his mouth were, “Your car’s on the line right now and will be done in the next few days. Can you get here this week?!”

I actually had a prior trip to the east coast scheduled over the coming days, but I was able to change my return flight for a stopover in Detroit. Of course there were weather issues in Newark on my way back, which meant I had to take a cab to JFK to get the last flight to Detroit, and that flight was delayed, getting me to my hotel at roughly 3 a.m. Factory tour start time at the assembly plant was 9 a.m., which meant another sleep-deprived Ford GT experience just like my first GT driving experience at Gingerman Raceway the previous October. And just like that event, I didn’t notice the lack of sleep once I arrived at the plant and saw hundreds of GTs in various states of assembly.

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Original 1966 Ford GT40 Brochure

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On April 27, 2018

In Ford GT, Ford GT40

Ford’s GT40 swept the podium at Le Mans in 1966, taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd place while making it the first American car company to win the prestigious 24-hour endurance race. The 50th anniversary of that win is being celebrated this weekend in Monterey, and I’ll be attending an event that will include all of the winning Ford GT40s of that era.

1966 Ford GT40 Le Mans Brochure

A brochure for the 1966 Ford GT40 that won Le Mans

Years ago I spotted a brochure for the 1966 Ford GT40 on eBay at a reasonable price. I’ve scanned the brochure and posted it here for your reading enjoyment. I’m not sure if this is an original brochure of a reprint, but it’s a fun read either way.

1966 Ford GT40 Le Mans Brochure Page 2

A brochure for the 1966 Ford GT40 that won Le Mans

Ordering My 2005 Ford GT

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On April 26, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

Ford GT Quick Reference Guide

2005 Ford GT Quick Reference Guide

When I was told I’d “made the list” to get a 2005 Ford GT, in April of 2004, I didn’t know exactly when I’d take delivery. At that point I was just happy to be getting a car. But after a year of waiting I’ll admit, I was getting antsy. The delays to the car’s production due to paint issues, the “ship-in-a-bottle” central fuel tank design and the extruded aluminum suspension pieces were well known to Ford GT fans and industry followers. By spring of 2005 cars were slowly trickling into dealerships, and any GTs not snapped up by dealer principals were going for $250,000-plus on the open market.

2005 Ford GT Order Form

My order form for a 2005 Ford GT

Then in mid-April 2005 I received paperwork from Ford asking me how I wanted my GT configured. The car’s base price started at $139,995, and of the four options offered I knew how I wanted all four of them configured. “Yes” on the painted racing stripes ($5,350), “yes” on the BBS lightweight aluminum wheels ($3,500), “yes” on the (red) painted brake calipers ($750), and “no” on the optional McIntosh audio system ($2,100). I actually liked the McIntosh audio head unit, but the large subwoofer that came with it was mounted between the seats, blocking the view of the supercharger on the other side of the rear cabin glass.

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My Second Drive In The 2005 Ford GT

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On April 25, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT

2005 Ford GT Front

2005 Ford GT pre-production press car with early headlight design

After briefly driving the Ford GT for the first time on Gingerman Raceway in October of 2003 I was given a second opportunity in April of 2004. This time I had the car for over 48 hours on the roads in and around Napa Valley. During this drive I also learned I was getting an allocation to buy a 2005 Ford GT, equipped the way I wanted and sold at MSRP. This is the road test I wrote and these are the photos that came from driving that pre-production test car. This article first published July 2, 2004:

2005 Fod GT Rear

2005 Ford GT pre-production press car in Fort Bragg, California

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The Ford GT40 Stars In Its Own Show (and I co-star…sort of)

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On April 24, 2018

In 2005-2006 Ford GT, Ford GT, Ford GT40

In June of 2004 I went to a small studio in West Los Angeles to be interviewed for a series called “Behind the Headlights.” This series of documentary programs, written by noted automotive journalist and historian Ken Gross, focused each episode on one highly significant automobile from history. Examples included James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR from the 1955 Le Mans crash, and the 1961 Lincoln Continental, also known as the X-100, that carried JFK on that fateful day in Dallas.

The Behind the Headlights episode I contributed to focused on the 1967 Ford GT40 Mark IV that won Le Mans in 1967. While that specific GT40 was the star of the show, the 45-minute documentary discussed the entire Ford GT40 race program, from the attempt to buy Ferrari in 1963, through the 1969 Le Mans win and even the 2005-2006 Ford GT revival. I’m probably biased, but I consider it the most effective and entertaining telling of the Ford GT40 story (and I’ve seen them all).

Karl Brauer on Behind the Headlights

I played a tiny role in a highly-entertaining Ford GT40 show

Being a part of this show, shortly after learning I’d be getting a new 2005 Ford GT but about a year before I took possession, was incredibly rewarding. Not only was I thrilled to discuss the original Ford GT40, I also felt honored (and a bit out of place) to be among the legendary individuals that appeared in this episode of Behind the Headlights. I’m convinced when people watch this episode they ask the same question Bill Ford Jr. asked when looking at the list of 2005 Ford GT applicants: “Who is Karl Brauer?”

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