RPO83

The production version of the Ford GT has arrived in Europe to wow crowds on the streets of London and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.

The red Ford GT, chassis number 002, is one of three non-saleable production prototype versions of the car that have been produced as a centerpiece of Ford Motor Company’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The vehicle stopped off in London en-route to the tenth annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it appeared alongside an exciting line-up of Ford's most famous racing cars from around the world, including the three winning GT40s from the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour race.

One of the highlights of the Festival is the central display outside Goodwood House. This year Ford created the tallest structure ever seen in front of the 300-year-old stately home on the Sussex Downs - a massive work of art depicting one of the proudest moments in Ford’s motorsport history, the 1966 GT40 Le Mans 1-2-3 victory.

Dominant racer breeds road car beauty

The Ford GT40 went on to further Le Mans' victories in 1967, 1968 and 1969 and the Ford GT is a modern reincarnation of that fabulous racing car. Ford of Europe has indicated that only around 80 of these exclusive, high performance supercars are expected to go to discerning European customers.

Since the Ford GT Concept made its European debut in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show in March, a number of potential customers have registered their interest in owning one of the road cars destined for Europe. The road going car featured at Goodwood is one of three early versions produced in 2003 to help commemorate Ford's centennial celebrations. The full production run for the Ford GT is due to start in the US in 2004.

No price has yet been announced for the limited production Ford GT but it has been indicated that it will go on sale in the US for under $150,000. Deliveries in Europe are expected from the fourth quarter of 2004.

Although the number of potential customers has already overtaken the number of vehicles expected to be available, European customers who want to register their interest in purchasing one of the limited number of Ford GTs may still do so via a dedicated website: www.FordTeamRS.com

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