Built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company, the GT has been a heavily sought-after modern classic ever since the first model rolled off the production line in 2004. The vehicle’s design is a modern homage to the immensely successful GT40 that achieved four consecutive Le Mans victories from 1966 to 1969. Sharing nearly every crease and line, the modern GT was made to invoke grand images of Ford’s most triumphant moment for any gearhead in the know. Just like the original racer, the new GT had to be a world-beater, but most importantly, it had to best the boys from Maranello.

Maintaining the spirit of the original, the contemporary interpretation was powered by Ford’s all-aluminum 5.4-liter V-8. The 32-valve cylinder heads from the Mustang SVT Cobra R were modified with a thicker wall casting in the exhaust port, and a new camshaft provided increased lift and duration. On top sits a Lysholm twin-screw supercharger feeding a maximum 11.7 psi of boost into the engine. From the factory, power is rated at 550 hp and 500 foot-pounds of torque. Four-piston aluminum Brembo brake calipers with cross-drilled and ventilated rotors on all four wheels made sure to bring the vehicle to an abrupt stop from any speed. Most impressively, a top speed of 205 mph and a 0–60 time of 3.3 seconds place the GT in closer competition to the Porsche Carrera GT and Mercedes-McLaren SLR rather than the benchmarked Ferrari 360.

All this performance was offered at an original base price of $139,995, making it a bargain compared to its European counterparts of the day. Racing stripes, forged BBS wheels, painted brake calipers, and a McIntosh stereo were the only available options from the factory, and this beautiful Tungsten example features all four of them. At the time of cataloguing, the car had recorded less than 2,400 actual miles. It has been very well preserved in its owner’s collection and remains in very fine, nearly new condition throughout.

The Ford GT remains a landmark in the company’s history, a fitting performance icon amidst the Ford V-8s in the Dingman Collection offered here today.