<P> A British company, Safir Engineering, who built continuation GT40s in the 1980s, owned the "GT40" trademark at that time . When they completed production, they sold the excess parts, tooling, design, and trademark to a small Ohio company called Safir GT40 Spares . This company licensed the use of the "GT40" trademark to Ford for the initial 2002 show car . When Ford decided to make the production vehicle, negotiations between the two firms failed . The production cars do not wear the GT40 badge . </P> <P> The GT was produced for the 2005 and 2006 model years, with the first customers taking delivery in August 2004 . The GT began assembly at Mayflower Vehicle Systems in Norwalk, Ohio and was painted by Saleen in their Saleen Special Vehicles facility in Troy, Michigan . The GT is powered by an engine built at Ford's Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Michigan . Installation of the engine and manual transmission along with interior finishing was handled in the SVT building at Ford's Wixom, Michigan plant . </P> <P> Of the 4,500 GTs originally planned, approximately 100 were to be exported to Europe, starting in late 2005 . An additional 200 were destined for sale in Canada . Production ended in 2006 without reaching the planned lot . Approximately 550 were built in 2004, nearly 1,900 in 2005, and just over 1,600 in 2006, for a grand total of 4,038 . The final 11 car bodies manufactured by Mayflower Vehicle Systems were disassembled, and the frames and body panels were sold as service parts . </P> <P> When the Ford GT was first released, the demand outpaced supply, and the cars initially sold for premium prices . The first private sale of Ford's new mid-engine sports car was completed on August 4, 2004, when former Microsoft executive Jon Shirley took delivery of his Midnight Blue 2005 Ford GT . Shirley earned the right to purchase the first production Ford GT (chassis #10) at a charity auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Auction after bidding over $557,000 . </P>

How many ford gts are in the world