This is something I have never seen mentioned here that I can recall. I've never even heard any Ford people talk about it, and certainly the topic has come up.
Everyone knows the story with the Sonic Blue car. Chris Theodore had Ford use the sonic blue paint code from the Ford catalog to have a custom painted Ford GT done at the factory. When certain people found out they said no way, and the car was subsequently auctioned off at the Cattle Baron's ball for around $330k. It is currently for sale.
Yesterday while I was at SEMA I ran into Neil Ressler. Neil was brought back just to consult on the Ford GT program as the senior technical adviser. I've had more than one Ford GT team person tell me that if it weren't for Neil, the car wouldn't be what it was. He's the man that hand assembled the best they could find for the program (and he's not only a mechanical engineer but he holds a PhD in physics, so he's by all acounts a brilliant guy). We were talking about the cars, and his personal car came up.
Apparently, during the Theodore Sonic Blue incident, Ressler's midnight blue car was being built. He told them to have it painted stripeless. Somehow, at the 11th hour he got in and he got it painted midnight blue...with silver stripes! He managed to get the car out of the factory and in his possession and subsequently retired. The car is still in his possession and he drives it whenever he gets the chance. He definitely wants to come to the events so he will hopefully have it at Rally IV.
So that's the story. There is a midnight blue with silver stripes painted and delivered from the factory. You learn something new everyday.
:cheers
Everyone knows the story with the Sonic Blue car. Chris Theodore had Ford use the sonic blue paint code from the Ford catalog to have a custom painted Ford GT done at the factory. When certain people found out they said no way, and the car was subsequently auctioned off at the Cattle Baron's ball for around $330k. It is currently for sale.
Yesterday while I was at SEMA I ran into Neil Ressler. Neil was brought back just to consult on the Ford GT program as the senior technical adviser. I've had more than one Ford GT team person tell me that if it weren't for Neil, the car wouldn't be what it was. He's the man that hand assembled the best they could find for the program (and he's not only a mechanical engineer but he holds a PhD in physics, so he's by all acounts a brilliant guy). We were talking about the cars, and his personal car came up.
Apparently, during the Theodore Sonic Blue incident, Ressler's midnight blue car was being built. He told them to have it painted stripeless. Somehow, at the 11th hour he got in and he got it painted midnight blue...with silver stripes! He managed to get the car out of the factory and in his possession and subsequently retired. The car is still in his possession and he drives it whenever he gets the chance. He definitely wants to come to the events so he will hopefully have it at Rally IV.
So that's the story. There is a midnight blue with silver stripes painted and delivered from the factory. You learn something new everyday.
:cheers
