GATHERING POWER: The Matt Furukawa Collection being offered at Scottsdale is big on power and low-mileage standouts
December 30, 2019
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham
One of the stars of The Matt Furukawa Collection is this 2006 Ford GT (Lot #1353).
Behind every car collection there’s usually a common thread, some theme that ties all the chrome and steel together. It’s not hard to guess the concept behind the collection of Matt Furukawa, shown here. Power ‒ and lots of it.
Furukawa has assembled a stable of high-performance cars that is heavy on late-model muscle, with maximum horsepower and limited production. Most of the cars are racing-inspired, if not outright race-ready. All the vehicles shown here are being offered with No Reserve at the 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in January.
Furukawa is general manager of a Ford dealership, so his collection naturally started with fast Fords ‒ but he didn’t stop there. “It’s transitioned from that into a passion for iconic cars, regardless of the make or the model,” he said. “I just have a passion for the vehicles and some of the iconic stuff.”
He has another criterion, one that collectors of all types appreciate. “I either buy them and don’t drive them, or I seek out cars that are low-mileage. I like highly original, low-mileage stuff,” he said.
Lot #1353.1 – 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition
It would be hard to get more iconic than Ford’s 2006 GT supercar, two of which will be offered from Furukawa’s collection. With styling inspired by the Le Mans-winning GT40s of the 1960s, plus a supercharged, DOHC, 32-valve, 550-horsepower 5.4-liter V8 for motivation teamed with a purpose-built 6-speed Ricardo manual transmission, the performance aspect is never in doubt with these cars. Ford took particular care with the details to make this road-going supercar feel like the iconic race car, right down to the doors that arc overhead into the roof, clamshell engine cover and racing-style toggle switches for the lights and defroster.
The Mark IV Red with white stripe 2006 Ford GT (Lot #1353) offered at Scottsdale is a perfect distillation of Furukawa’s collection. It has all the power and handling for which the cars are known, along with a mere 29 actual miles on the odometer. Options include the red painted brake calipers, lightweight forged aluminum wheels and the painted racing stripes.
Lot #1352.1 – 1970 Plymouth Superbird
The second 2006 Ford GT (Lot #1353.1) offered has the Heritage Livery Package, one of 343 built with the option. The Heritage option delivered Heritage Blue and Epic Orange paint as used on some of the iconic racing GT-40s, plus white roundels with a number of the buyer’s choice. This car has only 2,384 miles on it, barely break-in distance, but enough to deliver some solid driving impressions. “It’s pretty exhilarating driving that car. You sure get a lot of looks in something like that,” Furukawa said. “Especially because typically, out of all the GTs, that’s not one anyone would drive. But for me, that one had some miles on it, so I wanted to drive it.”
The pair of Ford GTs are not the only racing-inspired cars in the collection. Also offered are a pair of 1970 Plymouth Superbirds. The Superbird, one of the most distinctive cars of the original muscle car era, was the direct offshoot of a factory racing program. If Plymouth wanted to race their winged wonders on the high banks of Daytona or Talladega, they had to build a certain number for the street to qualify as a “stock car.” And so the Superbird, with its wind-cheating nose and towering wing, could be purchased in Plymouth showrooms right next to pedestrian Valiants and Belvedere station wagons.
The Limelight Green Superbird (Lot #1352) being offered is powered by the 375-horsepower, 440 4-barrel V8 with 4-speed transmission, one of 458 so equipped. It has its matching-numbers engine and is in premium condition. The blue Superbird (Lot #1352.1) has the 440/automatic powertrain and was given a ground-up restoration to precise factory specifications. It has its original trim tag and VIN tag.
Lot #1009 – 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye
These days, if you went to a Dodge dealership and tried to order something as racy as a Superbird, you’d come away with a 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye (Lot #1009) like the one in the Furukawa collection. With a 6.2-liter supercharged HO V8, 797 horsepower, 707 ft/lbs of torque and 8-speed automatic, it was built for the track.
The Hellcat Redeye came standard with a dual snorkel hood, functional cold-air intake, two-piece 15.4-inch front rotors, 6-piston Brembo front calipers, a 2.7-liter supercharger, SRT Power Chiller and After-Run Chiller, and line lock and launch assist. The factory performance specs based on manufacturer’s testing for a Hellcat Redeye had the car capable of a 10.80-second quarter-mile and 203 mph top end. The example offered in Scottsdale has the sunroof option and only 18 actual miles.
In the days before the Challenger arrived, the top dog in the Dodge stable was the V10-powered Viper, with its 500 horsepower, 8.3-liter V10. A yellow 2005 Dodge Viper SRT/10 convertible (Lot #427.1) is part of the Furukawa collection to be sold in January. Dodge only built 2,005 examples for the model year, and this one has 14,500 miles.
Lot #426 – 2004 Ford Mustang Saleen Convertible
As mentioned earlier, the origins of Matt Furukawa’s car collection centered around Fords. In fact, it was a car very much like the red 2004 Ford Mustang Saleen Convertible (Lot #426) that will cross the block in Scottsdale that was the original inspiration. “It’s not the most expensive or fanciest vehicle I have, but it’s something that I looked at and just said ‘I’ve always wanted one,’” he said. This one is indeed a special Saleen, though, with supercharged 4.6 V8, 5-speed manual transmission, the Speedster cap and upgraded exhaust. It was once owned by the president of the Calgary Flames NHL hockey team.
Line up the other Mustangs in the collection and you have a virtual parade of the top performance Mustangs ever built. Among them are a 2017 Ford Shelby GT350R (Lot #1008) ‒ a car built for a road course if ever there was one ‒ with its 526-horsepower, 5.2-liter Voodoo engine, 6-speed manual transmission and 440 actual miles.
Lot #426.1 – 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt
One of the most famous Mustangs of all time was the Highland Green 1968 fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the movie “Bullitt.” That car has inspired several real-life Bullitt Mustang specials from Ford over the years, like this 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt (Lot #426.1) from the collection. It is equipped with a 480-horsepower 5.0-liter and a 6-speed manual transmission. It has the optional Base RECARO leather seats, and a scant 18 actual miles on the odometer.
You can’t talk about the ultimate Mustangs without mentioning Shelby, and the collection includes a variety of top models. When Ford Motor Company and Shelby American teamed up to revive the fabled GT500, the Shelby factory in Las Vegas took it all a step further with the Super Snake package. The Super Snake package included an upgraded supercharger, special Super Snake hood with pins, quarter window scoop (or block-off), front brake duct kit, Shelby/Ford Racing suspension package, 20-inch billet three-piece forged wheels and plenty of other performance parts. The red 2009 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake (Lot #1008.1) from Furukawa’s collection has a mere 2,502 actual miles on it. Also available will be a 2009 Shelby GT500KR (Lot #1008.2) in Silver Metallic with Vista Blue stripes. One of 712 built that year, it has only 10 original miles on it. Owned and stored by a franchised Ford dealership since new, this “King of the Road” is essentially a new car. The original Window Sticker signed by Carroll Shelby is included.
Lot #728 – 1968 Ford Mustang GT
The heritage that these late-model Mustangs celebrate can be traced directly back to the Mustangs of the 1960s. The collection reflects that with a red 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible (Lot #727.1) with a 289ci V8 and automatic transmission. Its counterpart from a year later, a red 1968 Ford Mustang GT (Lot #728) with a 302ci 4-barrel and a 4-speed will also cross the auction block. “That car is just tip to tail perfect. It’s very clean,” Furukawa said.
It’s hard to discuss Mustangs without bringing up its arch-rival the Camaro, and Matt Furukawa has a couple in this well-rounded collection. One of the cars that will be at Scottsdale is a Hugger Orange 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 RS (Lot #1009.1). It is a ground-up restoration with detailed engine bay and undercarriage, cowl-induction hood, DZ 302 engine and 4-speed transmission. One of the all-time great Camaros, this one has low miles since completion.
Chevrolet celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Camaro’s introduction in 1992, as reflected in the loaded 1992 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 convertible (Lot #425.2) in the collection, an unrestored Heritage Edition powered by the 5.0-liter Tuned Port Injection V8. It has traveled only 2,858 miles since new.
It’s no secret there’s considerable overlap between muscle car fans and those who like to go rock-crawling and mudslinging. This collection reflects those common interests. Among the 4x4s in this collection for Scottsdale is a Grabber Blue 1975 Ford Bronco (Lot #728.1), uncut and unmodified, and powered by a 302ci V8 and an automatic transmission. For those who prefer a little custom character, there’s a Torch Red 1976 Ford Bronco (Lot #729), highly customized and new from the ground up, with 20-inch aftermarket wheels, a diamond-stitched interior, a headliner, custom console and some underhood polish to its 302ci V8.
Some cars and trucks are popular and common, yet are rarely seen in collector circles, as they are not often restored or kept in original condition. That’s why this garage-find 1991 Chevrolet 1500 Pickup (Lot #425.3) is such a standout. It has only 3,487 original miles and is in original, showroom condition. It has the 350ci V8, 4-speed automatic transmission and plentiful options.
For those who prefer more street-performance-oriented trucks, there’s a 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Pickup (Lot #427) with 2,957 miles. A product from Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT), the Lightning packs an Eaton supercharged 5.4-liter V8 rated at 380 horsepower. Ford built 1,581 Lightnings in Silver Metallic in 2001, out of total production of 6,381 that year. This truck is one of three to come out of the factory with a tonneau cover, and the only silver one so equipped, according to Furukawa. It comes with a letter from Ford documenting the anomaly.
Lot #727 – 1959 Ford Fairlane Skyliner Retractable Hardtop
Of course, not every day is made for smoky burnouts and power slides. Some days you just want to put the top down and cruise in style. For that, there’s a 1959 Ford Fairlane Skyliner Retractable Hardtop (Lot #727) in the collection at Scottsdale. Powered by a 352ci V8 and 3-speed automatic transmission, it has been treated to a frame-up restoration.
There have been some truly remarkable American performance cars built in recent times, and it takes a discerning eye and determination to gather so many under one roof. Bidders at Scottsdale in January will have ample opportunities to add these cars to their own collections, no doubt raising the horsepower average and lowering the miles traveled average at the same time.
Check out the gallery below to view all the vehicles in The Matt Furukawa Collection. For up-to-date information on them all, click HERE. For a look at all the vehicles headed to the 2020 Scottsdale Auction, click HERE.
LOT #425.2 – 1992 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28 CONVERTIBLE
LOT #425.3 – 1991 CHEVROLET 1500 PICKUP
LOT #426 – 2004 FORD MUSTANG SALEEN CONVERTIBLE
LOT #426.1 – 2019 FORD MUSTANG BULLITT
LOT #427 – 2001 FORD F-150 LIGHTNING PICKUP
LOT #427.1 – 2005 DODGE VIPER SRT10 CONVERTIBLE
LOT #727 – 1959 FORD FAIRLANE SKYLINER RETRACTABLE HARDTOP
LOT #727.1 – 1967 FORD MUSTANG GTA CONVERTIBLE
LOT #728.1 – 1975 FORD BRONCO
LOT #729 – 1976 FORD BRONCO
LOT #1008 – 2017 FORD SHELBY GT350R
LOT #1008.1 – 2009 FORD SHELBY GT500 SUPER SNAKE
LOT #1008.2 – 2009 FORD SHELBY GT500KR
LOT #1009 – 2019 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT HELLCAT REDEYE
LOT #1009 – 1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28 RS
LOT #1352 – 1970 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD
LOT #1352.1 – 1970 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD
LOT #1353 – 2006 FORD GT
LOT #1353.1 – 2006 FORD GT HERITAGE EDITION