Imagine taking your supercar out for a drive—and almost immediately crashing it. That’s what happened on Friday last week to a Florida man who barely made it out of his housing development before destroying his 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition sports car on a palm tree. The reason for the crash, according to the driver? A lack of familiarity with a manual transmission.
The owner was “unfamiliar with how to drive stick shift”
Florida Ford GT owner crashes because he's “unfamiliar” with manual transmission. https://t.co/MTjXod7owU pic.twitter.com/tz7Xhx5dOj
— Road & Track (@RoadandTrack) May 2, 2022
According to reporting by Road & Track, the driver—later identified as 50-year-old Robert J. Guarini—claimed to have lost control of the vehicle while downshifting. The man told police he was “unfamiliar” with driving stick, but there’s a lot to this story that seems suspect.
For one, the vehicle wasn’t registered yet or insured. The driver got out of his car, hitched a ride to his house, then called police from his landline—rather than calling to report the accident right at the scene. Was this an embarrassed flee, or just a genuine love of the landline? We may never know.
According to Road & Track, the Ford GT was bought in Palm Beach at a Barret-Jackson auction last month for $704,000. While that number may seem extreme at first, it’s a very fair price for this model in this condition. Or, at least, in its former condition.
User Ottomatik80 commented on a Reddit thread, “The dude had a suspended license, no insurance, and claims to not know how to drive stick properly. More money than sense is my take. It’s a shame [he] took a GT out along the way though.”
The 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition
For those unfamiliar, who may be wondering why this sharp teal-and-orange car went for $700,000 in the first place, the 2006 GT Heritage Edition is a legend. Used prices for Ford GT models are sky-high as enthusiasts fight to claim one for themselves.
Ford produced only a limited number of these GT Heritage Edition cars in 2006, a little under 350. The Heritage Blue/Epic Orange color scheme was iconic, and the flashy, unique styling made the Heritage Edition even more rare and valuable. Four white roundels on the body allowed owners to place their favorite racing number on the vehicle in homage to the Ford GT-40 racecar. The 2006 GT came standard with a 5.4-liter V8 engine making 550 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque.
They aren’t all as lucky (or unlucky?) as this one, though—last summer, the same make, model, and year could be bought for cheap on an online auction site for wrecked cars. Who knows, Guarini’s GT Heritage Edition may find itself in the same spot.
Supercar crashes are astonishingly common
Many people have a morbid fascination with car crashes—especially when they’re supercars. And this sad Ford GT crash isn’t the first supercar accident within the last few years. Last year alone saw a $3.8 million supercar crash, the collision of two separate yellow Lamborghini Aventadors, and another crash involving a GT that got split in half in Beverly Hills.
This story, at least, features no fatalities or even injuries, so I can feel a little less guilty about scrolling through pictures and reading comments. The only injury so far seems to be to Guarini’s pride.
Heartbreak may turn to hope: will this GT Heritage Edition see a third life?
Crashed 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition | John Peddle via Facebook
There have been plenty of stories of incredible supercar comebacks through careful restoration. Road & Track reports that “the damage is limited to the front third of the car;” however, “the hit was substantial enough to trigger multiple airbags and disable the vehicle.” Without insurance, that restoration is going to cost quite a pretty penny.
The damage isn’t pretty, but hopefully, someone will be able to take on the project and bring this 2006 GT Heritage Edition back to life. There are already plenty of comments on the original Facebook post from gearheads interested in adopting the broken little car.
Lesson learned, kids: always learn to drive stick in your friend’s old beater car—not in your brand-new-to-you $700,000 supercar.
Keyword: Florida Man Destroys His $700,000 Ford GT Before Even Leaving the Neighborhood