Why doesn't Ford support the teams racing the "new" Ford GT

[Historybuff]

I saw some report where one won somewhere. I realize they haven't had the car to sell since 2006--now six years ago, but if they ever intend to bring out a new generation Ford GT, why can't they secretly or openly funnel some support to the teams running the cars on their own (and sponsors') nickel?
Then when they bring out the new Ford GT they could display some of these more recent race cars.

And they better come out with a new Ford GT soon, here's Chrysler coming out with a new Viper, where is Ford's two seater GT car to compete with it?

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Historybuff

I saw some report where one won somewhere. I realize they haven't had the car to sell since 2006--now six years ago, but if they ever intend to bring out a new generation Ford GT, why can't they secretly or openly funnel some support to the teams running the cars on their own (and sponsors') nickel?
Then when they bring out the new Ford GT they could display some of these more recent race cars.

And they better come out with a new Ford GT soon, here's Chrysler coming out with a new Viper, where is Ford's two seater GT car to compete with it?

Because they don't need to. Why would Ford spend dollars to promote a car they don't sell? And the Gt did not really compete with the Viper....two very different cars selling to two different markets with very little overlap.

The GT project was as much a "promotional" operation as a "business case" operation. It is likely that Ford never really made any money on the GT with all development and tooling costs as well as a partially outsourced (Saleen) assembly model that involved a lot of monkey motion. The press and prestige was priceless however.

If and when Ford builds a "halo" vehicle again it may or may not be a "GT" based vehicle.

[Nedsel]

Plus which, they are too busy promoting their Eco-Boost range, which the Ford GT tends to squash.

[twobjshelbys]

Matech ran a highly modified Ford GT a few years ago, and it did OK but not stellar. Their founder died and with it the adventure. There are still a few privateers running (I think) Matech supplied cars in South America and maybe Australia and at one time Europe but I think they are slowly retreating.

I was hoping for a 50th (2016) anniversary repeat at Lemans with a Ford GT based car but the chances of that are almost Nil.

[Historybuff]

that would be a reason to make the sports car even if it cost $100 million (what it cost to do the GT) because then the middle class cars could have badges that relate the engine to the racing engine. It just burns me to see the Viper when it would seem Chrysler doesn't have as much development money as Ford (but I guess Chrysler is making more money). I agree that Ford made the Ford GT more to rally the troops than to make money and I think if they start going up in price to higher than they sold for that means they have created a modern day Cobra, a new collectible, hard as it is to guess that market.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Historybuff

that would be a reason to make the sports car even if it cost $100 million

I'll tell Mr. Mulally to expect your check forthwith! Those damn shareholders, they don't want a hot sports car!!!

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by mark iv

i'll tell mr. Mulally to expect your check forthwith! Those damn shareholders, they don't want a hot sports car!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Rick Parker]

Current automotive marketing by the big 3 and Japan is focused on the 23-45 year old crowd. They are the ones that are the future of the automotive companies with the majority of the disposable income. All the smallish cars are designed for and intended to appeal largely to this demographic group. Once a manufacturer has you as an owner they will do everything possible to keep you brand loyal and move you in progression through their various carlines. The Ford GT is at the end of the rainbow for those lucky few that are fortunate enough to own them. Much like the Cobra was once the 70's rolled around, they had run their laps and had their turn. Too small of a market to focus upon and too much money spent to market each individual car. That's why Chevrolet is discontinuing the Avalanche; its run is over.

[Historybuff]

I guess I was looking at the Ford GT ('05-'06) from the Baby Boomer viewpoint but now that I've seen who owns them--fat cats who rarely take them out--I realize they built The Amazing Disappearing Car in that they are seen far less than, say Ferrari Daytonas of which roughly 1200 were made.
So I guess what they need is something exotic looking with a high performance powerplant , rear wheel drive, that's affordable by the young, who they can hook into buying Fords for decades. Maybe I could accept a V6 but a four, even turbocharged, would seem so puny compared to a V8. (What about a mini-V8, maybe 4 liter?). And I wouldn't like it to be like the last Toyota MR2 which was mid-engined but too small and delicate.

At any rate, once Ford starts to coin money with a bread and butter car that millions buy, and make a profit I'd like to see them do a high performance mid-engined car, maybe with GT40 design elements (to start with they could buy one example of a smaller mid-engined chassis and rebody it with the '05 body panels to see how it looks shrunken down).

PS It's not all bad that the '05-'06 Ford GTs didn't sell that much because now, because of their rarity and the fact they are 200-mph plus cars, they seem to be going up in price (especially the Gulf liveried ones) so in a way Ford succeeded in creating a "modern" collector car kind of like a Cobra for the 2000s, though so far they are about 1/5th the price of a real CSX Sixties Cobra.