Photo: Barrett-Jackson
In the 1960s, Ford shamed Ferrari by winning Le Mans four times on the trot with the awe-inspiring GT40. In the 2000s, FoMoCo brought the road-going GT into the world to upset Ferrari yet again. Although it hasn’t started production yet, the 2017 Ford GT shamed Ferrari once again at Le Mans. This GT, however, is a bit more special... and useless.
Meet the 2004 Ford GT CP-1, also known as the first confirmation prototype of the first-generation GT. Believe it or not, the bearer of VIN 004 is the first “fully functional Ford GT prototype built in 2003 as part of the development phase.” This, my dear reader, is genesis. Despite the historical importance of this thing, CP-1 failed to meet the reserve price at auction.
The thing with CP-1 is, you can’t drive it on the street. More than that, Barrett-Jackson highlights that even if it was, “installed a chip in the engine to limit top speed to 5 mph.” In other words, you’re looking at a sculpture, not a full-on, world-beating supercar. This then is not a racecar such as the GT40, nor a 205 mph beast as the production version of the GT, nor the twin-turbocharged monster the 2017 Ford GT is.
It’s a thoroughly fascinating thing, though, a work of art on four wheels and a testament to how dedicated Ford is in the wonderful world of go-faster machines. Better still, the 2004 Ford GT CP-1 is autographed by key members of the GT's design team, including Carroll Shelby, Bill Ford, the chief designer and engineer.
Compared to the production-ready GT, the Confirmation Prototype 1 boasts some one-off design features. The aluminum headliner, for example, isn’t obscured by sound-deadening materials. The rear clamshell, on the other hand, is made from carbon fiber. If FoMoCo were to put it into production, each unit would’ve cost the Ford Motor Company $45,000 to manufacture. Indeed, carbon fiber was very expensive back then.
Last, but not least, the supercharger and valve covers of the Modular V8 are finished in black rather than silver and blue. My favorite quirk, however, is the emissions-testing sniffer pipe connected to the exhaust.
The thing with CP-1 is, you can’t drive it on the street. More than that, Barrett-Jackson highlights that even if it was, “installed a chip in the engine to limit top speed to 5 mph.” In other words, you’re looking at a sculpture, not a full-on, world-beating supercar. This then is not a racecar such as the GT40, nor a 205 mph beast as the production version of the GT, nor the twin-turbocharged monster the 2017 Ford GT is.
It’s a thoroughly fascinating thing, though, a work of art on four wheels and a testament to how dedicated Ford is in the wonderful world of go-faster machines. Better still, the 2004 Ford GT CP-1 is autographed by key members of the GT's design team, including Carroll Shelby, Bill Ford, the chief designer and engineer.
Compared to the production-ready GT, the Confirmation Prototype 1 boasts some one-off design features. The aluminum headliner, for example, isn’t obscured by sound-deadening materials. The rear clamshell, on the other hand, is made from carbon fiber. If FoMoCo were to put it into production, each unit would’ve cost the Ford Motor Company $45,000 to manufacture. Indeed, carbon fiber was very expensive back then.
Last, but not least, the supercharger and valve covers of the Modular V8 are finished in black rather than silver and blue. My favorite quirk, however, is the emissions-testing sniffer pipe connected to the exhaust.
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