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Mr. Cena flipped his vehicle shortly after taking delivery of it, despite his agreement with Ford. — Ford lawsuit
As most Ford fans know, the company went to great lengths vetting potential customers before doling out the right buy one of the 250 units produced over the EcoBoost-powered supercar’s limited run. The company sought true enthusiasts who were also influencers that could spread the Ford GT gospel.
Ford Motor Company is suing wrestler John Cena for flipping his Ford GT for a profit. He signed a contract that said he couldn’t sell it for two years and he sold it well before that time elapsed.
With that in mind, Ford set up stipulations for the purchase to protect owners from dealer gouging and to prevent buyers from purchasing the rare performance car simply to turn a profit. The latter is what put the wrestler into a legal chokehold.
“This is an action for breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment arising out of Mr. Cena’s improper and unlawful resale of a custom-made, model year 2017 Ford GT sports car, in violation of the Ford GT Application Program and contracts pertaining to same,” says the lawsuit. “Indeed, after being selected from thousands of applicants for the opportunity to purchase the Ford GT, Mr. Cena flipped his vehicle shortly after taking delivery of it, despite his agreement with Ford to maintain ownership of the vehicle for 24 months. Upon information and belief, Mr. Cena has unfairly made a large profit from the unauthorized resale flip of the vehicle, and Ford has suffered additional damages and losses, including, but not limited to, loss of brand value, ambassador activity, and customer goodwill due to the improper sale.”
With so many former Ford GT owners and real enthusiasts vying for these cars who didn’t get an opportunity to purchase one, there was certainly a market out there for John to sell the car and alleviate some of the financial problems to which he attributed the sale. However, the true Ford GT enthusiasts might be less than forgiving of his plight.
“Today’s lesson is a simple one. Either your word means something or it means nothing. People are flipping out over the specifics of John Cena flipping his GT and Ford suing him. Here’s the only detail that matters: he signed multiple documents agreeing that he would not transfer ownership of the car for a period of 24 months. But he did, and he did it inside a couple weeks,” David Bannister, founder of the Ford GT Forum, posted on social media. “The lesson that follows is equally simple: people who are explaining to you now why it doesn’t matter what he signed yesterday because he got a better deal today are not people you should do business with.”
As a result of John’s breach of contract, Ford is seeking the profits he earned by selling his Ford GT, as well as legal fees and other damages. Since word of the suit hit the internet, responded by posting a photo of a sweet 1983 Mustang GT (below), so we can only guess that his financial troubles might have him choosing a more reasonably priced Blue Oval performer, but we’d caution him that a clean Fox can command a pretty penny these days, especially one with T-tops.
No matter what ride he goes with next, John has some explaining to do in court. In short, if you were planning to sell your 2017 Ford GT before that contracted time is up, don’t do it or Ford will cut a legal promo on you.
