It’s not odd to see an airplane pulling a banner with a car advertisement behind it, but what about one with message from someone who's looking to buy a car?
That’s exactly what was spotted over Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., on Monday as a single-engine plane circled around at lunchtime towing a sign that read: IS A FORD GT IN MY FUTURE? #GOINGFURTHER.
The note was referencing Ford's $450,000 limited edition GT supercar, which is only being sold to customers deemed worthy stewards by the automaker, based on factors that include previous Ford ownership, celebrity and social media reach. Jay Leno, Joey Logano and Tim Allen were among the first 750 buyers approved when it went on sale in 2016.
The application process for the last 600 cars Ford will build through 2022 is currently open and Ford says it has been getting about seven bona fide requests per slot, so it’s going to take a little more than a laminated resume to stand out.
And that’s exactly what Rand Advisors CEO John Honis was thinking when he booked the flight through aerial advertising firm Airsign. The investment manager isn’t a NASCAR star or famous comedian, but he is a lifelong Ford enthusiast and the owner of a 2006 GT along with a few other collector cars that he often loans to the Saratoga Springs Auto Museum near his company’s office.
Honis was one of the original applicants, but didn’t make the cut, so he said he wanted to come up with a way to stand out this time around.
“The last page of the application gives you the opportunity to be creative” Honis told Fox News Autos. “So I started thinking about the company’s slogans like “Bold Moves,” “Is There a Ford in Your Future,” and “Go Further” and had some fun with it.
Honis said his connection to the GT goes back to the 1966 GT40 it pays homage to, which scored Ford’s first LeMans victory at the hands of Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren. One of the other cars in his collection is a McLaren Can Am racer from the era, so he's a certified fanatic.
Ford released a statement regarding the event that said it encourages applicants to submit “creative videos to support their applications instead of high-flying stunts,” but it comes across more like its attorneys fretting over liability rather than a lack of enthusiasm for Honis’ effort.
Honis didn’t say what he paid for the ad, but public rates for a similar flyover run from $1,500 to $3,000. Given the widespread attention it’s already gotten across the automotive media, his earnest desire to own a GT and the fact that used examples are already https://www.foxnews.com/auto/controversial-flipped-ford-gt-supercar-is-for-sale-againselling for over $1 million at auctions, it will have been well worth it if Ford gives him a thumbs-up.
If nothing else, it’ll be tough for one of his competitors to come up with something more ingenious before the application window closes on Dec. 7.
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