The golden age of muscle cars brought with it a bold spectrum of unforgettable hues: Plum Crazy, Grabber Blue, Calypso Coral and Hugger Orange among them. Yet in 1970, Ford took a more understated approach, quietly setting aside 18 Mustang Boss 429s finished in Pastel Blue, a soft, nearly white shade that stood apart from its more extroverted contemporaries. Ford later took the same paint code formula for Pastel Blue, renamed the color Diamond Blue, and offered it through their factory Extended Color Palette. That rare and subtle color now adorns a one-owner 2022 Ford GT being offered with No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s inaugural Columbus Auction, June 25-27 at the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds. This second-generation GT stands alone as the only example ever produced in this distinctive finish.
The Diamond Blue finish has subtle complexity. Depending on the light, the color shifts, especially depending on the angle and the environment. Under bright light, it radiates with a crisp, almost icy brilliance, shadows cast by bodylines accentuate the GT’s bodywork with richer tones, lending the car a quiet, almost mysterious presence. It’s a color that rewards attention, inviting you to look closer — and then closer still.
That interplay of light and form is amplified by the GT’s exterior details. The car’s $74,600 in factory options includes the matte Carbon-Fiber Package, providing a striking contrast, its exposed weave offering a technical, motorsport-inspired feel to the smooth, luminous finish of the paint. The 20-inch matte exposed carbon-fiber wheels extend that visual theme, their lightweight construction underscoring the car’s relentless focus on performance while their finish harmonizes perfectly with the darker accents. Even the smallest elements have been considered, from the titanium lug nuts to the Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, whose darker blue calipers echo the body color and tie the entire composition together.
To preserve the integrity of that finish, the exterior has been treated with a satin paint protection film (PPF). This not only safeguards the paint but also adds a distinctive texture, softening reflections just enough to give the color an almost velvety, matte-like appearance. It’s a nuanced effect, one that enhances the Diamond Blue without dulling its icy effect.
Step inside, and the color story continues, albeit in a more restrained and purposeful way. The Re-Entry-themed interior, in black with white accents, provides a modern performance feel, anchored by carbon-fiber Sparco seats equipped with six-point harnesses. The materials are unapologetically technical with carbon fiber, Alcantara and precision-machined components, but they never feel cold. Instead, they create an environment that’s both focused and immersive, placing the driver at the center of the experience. The Alcantara-wrapped, Formula 1-inspired steering wheel features an integrated rev counter, while a serialized ID badge confirms this car’s unique identity as chassis number N081.
Like the exterior, the interior has been carefully protected, with clear PPF applied to the carbon-fiber surfaces to maintain their flawless appearance. The underside of the car has also received that same clear protective coating. It’s a thoughtful touch, and one that speaks to the level of care this car has received from day one.
Beneath its sculpted bodywork, that same sense of precision carries into the engineering. The mid-mounted 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 delivers an impressive 660 horsepower, channeled through a lightning-quick seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The result is a driving experience defined by immediacy and control, with rapid-fire gear changes and relentless acceleration that place it firmly in modern supercar territory. Its lightweight carbon-fiber construction and advanced aerodynamics only amplify the performance, creating a machine that feels as purposeful on the road as it does on the track.
Accompanying the car is a comprehensive collection of factory materials, including the original window sticker, carbon-fiber studio/spec box, order confirmation and order preferences sheets, and correspondence documenting the journey from application approval to delivery. There are also a factory build photos and marketing materials, an indoor car cover and a Hero replica car cover.
With just 39 actual miles on the odometer, this Ford GT remains essentially as delivered, a preserved snapshot of the final year of production for the second-generation GT. That’s one of the things that makes this car so compelling. It’s the color, the decision to step outside the expected and create something genuinely singular. Diamond Blue isn’t just a finish; it’s a statement. And on a car as significant as the Ford GT, it transforms an already exceptional machine into something unforgettable.
This article was originally published on Barrett-Jackson.com.
