This nameplate first appeared for the 2005 model year as Ford’s modern tribute to the GT40 era, bringing the Le Mans-inspired formula back as a low-volume, mid-engine halo car. The original road-going version ran for only a short period, ending after the 2006 model year, but it quickly became one of the most recognizable American performance cars of its decade. Its shape, proportions, and mission clearly referenced Ford’s mid-1960s endurance-racing success, while its limited availability helped establish its collector appeal almost immediately.
Ford later revived the nameplate with an all-new second production era that began with the 2017 model year. Rather than simply rehashing the earlier car, this version was developed as a more advanced supercar with a carbon-fiber structure, active aerodynamics, and a racing-focused engineering brief. Ford used the return of the nameplate to reconnect with its Le Mans heritage, and the new generation also spawned a series of Heritage Editions that echoed famous GT40 and GT race liveries.
The revived GT remained a limited-production flagship and evolved through special editions and updates across its run. Ford announced the final model-year special editions for 2022, marking the closing chapter of the third-generation car and bringing that production period to an end later that year. Because the nameplate was discontinued and later brought back, the GT’s history is best understood as two separate road-car production eras rather than one continuous run. Enthusiasts value it both as a road-going showcase of Ford performance technology and as a modern link to the company’s iconic Le Mans story.