Ford, the creator of the automobile for the masses, tries, from time to time, to act as a bespoke car maker and sell some of its products in a very controlled, Ferrari-like fashion. That doesn’t always work, it seems, and since the end of last year it found itself in somewhat of a pickle.
The trouble began when pro wrestler John Cena was accepted on the shortlist for Ford GT supercar buyers and made the final purchase of a GT in October last year. For buyers of the GT, Ford has some very tough requirements, penned in a contract, including banning the sale of the car by the buyer for two years after purchase.
John Cena didn’t think a great deal about that, nor did he like the car very much, so he sold the GT less than a month after taking delivery. An enraged American automaker reacted swiftly and filed a lawsuit U.S. District Court in Michigan claiming Cena violated his purchase agreement.
According to Ford, the fact that Cena sold the car in violation of the agreement caused it to lose two years of the “ambassadorship and brand value” it would have gotten by associating the GT with Cena’s name.
According to Motor Authority, Cena asked on Tuesday in court for the lawsuit to be dismissed, claiming the sale restriction was not included in the binding purchase agreement dated October 12. The fault lies not with the carmaker itself, apparently, but with the dealer that actually sold the car.
The purchase process for buying one of the 1,000 Ford GTs planned for the series requires sending an application, being reviewed and perhaps accepted for the right to own the $460,000 car.
According to court files, Cena’s car had a price of $450,000. The options chosen for the car, and the destination charge, increased the total price by another $10,000.
John Cena didn’t think a great deal about that, nor did he like the car very much, so he sold the GT less than a month after taking delivery. An enraged American automaker reacted swiftly and filed a lawsuit U.S. District Court in Michigan claiming Cena violated his purchase agreement.
According to Ford, the fact that Cena sold the car in violation of the agreement caused it to lose two years of the “ambassadorship and brand value” it would have gotten by associating the GT with Cena’s name.
According to Motor Authority, Cena asked on Tuesday in court for the lawsuit to be dismissed, claiming the sale restriction was not included in the binding purchase agreement dated October 12. The fault lies not with the carmaker itself, apparently, but with the dealer that actually sold the car.
The purchase process for buying one of the 1,000 Ford GTs planned for the series requires sending an application, being reviewed and perhaps accepted for the right to own the $460,000 car.
According to court files, Cena’s car had a price of $450,000. The options chosen for the car, and the destination charge, increased the total price by another $10,000.