The Ford GT was introduced as a concept in the mid 1990s and eventually morphed into a commercially available sports car which harked back to the classic days of racing dominance for the manufacturer.

Ford conceived the GT in order to celebrate its 100 year anniversary, with the GT90 making an appearance as early as 1995. However, it was the GT40 concept which appeared in 2002 which showed the automaker's intentions were veering towards a more traditional design.

The Ford GT40 of the 1960s was an obvious influence on the design of the new model, although this modern GT was larger in almost every respect. This is unsurprising given the huge advances in automotive engineering which have occurred over the decades.

So while the Ford GT resembles cars of years gone by, under the surface it is an eminently modern animal.

Ford had originally wanted to use the full GT40 moniker for its new car, but another firm actually owned it at the time and so it decided to stick with just 'GT' in order to avoid legal issues and costly licensing.

While the Ford GT is cited as having begun production in 2003, it was not until the summer of 2004 that deliveries of the vehicle began to be made to those who had ordered it.

By 2006 the GT was no longer in production and it had not met its planned target of 4500 vehicles, falling short by about 10 per cent.

The GT features a V8 engine mounted in the middle of the car and it delivers a variety of blisteringly fast performance statistics. Various tests have been carried out by independent bodies and 0-60mph speeds have been rated at between 3.2 and 3.7 seconds, while the GT has a top speed of 212 miles per hour.

The GT was able to offer very impressive performance at a level that could match many supercars, but built into a package which was relatively affordable, at least on paper. Its popularity meant that many buyers were paying significantly more than the suggested asking price in order to get their hands on one.

The rarity of the GT means that it will surely remain a sought-after vehicle and its traditional good looks mean that it has already become a classic in under a decade since its launch.