If you’re a racing fan, driving a road car previously owned by your favorite driver would be the next best thing to actually taking their race car for a spin. Few cars would make you feel as connected to racing history as this one, though.
Former McLaren-Honda Formula 1 driver Jenson Button’s 2005 Ford GT is set to hit the auction block at a sale on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, according to Silverstone Auctions. When it was new, the GT cost $149,995, but is expected to fetch as much as $375,500 — and we’re not surprised.
Button won the 2009 F1 world championship, and the 2005 Ford GT was built as a tribute to the GT40 that won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. So a 2005 Ford GT owned by Button has quite a racing pedigree.
In addition, Button’s example was one of just 101 GTs sold across the pond, and one of only five European units that Ford National Sales Company marked as “VIP.”
While the 2017 Ford GT is powered by a twin-turbo V-8 and incorporates lots of composite materials, the 2005 GT was a bit more old-school. It features a handmade 550-horsepower 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
Also, when you open the rear clam shell to admire the GT’s firepower, you’ll notice Button adorned the chassis with a Mobil 1 sticker, as it was McLaren’s official partner when he purchased it.
The car heads to auction with only 8,350 miles on the clock and a service history that includes invoices from Mountune, as well as two services by GT101. Although he sold the GT to a vendor in 2011, the winning bidder also will receive a copy of the original order form signed by Button.
All photos via Silverstone Auctions
