Professional wrestler John Cena has settled with Ford Motor Co. following the automaker's lawsuit against him for his sale of his 2017 Liquid Blue GT supercar.
The lawsuit has been settled for an undisclosed amount. Ford will donate the money it receives to charity, the company said in email to Automotive News.
Jalopnik reported the settlement on Monday.
In April 2017, Ford instituted an application process for the first 500 supercars, making clear it would favor current GT owners and high-profile celebrities to ensure the cars would be seen. The GT is a limited-edition, two-seat sports car that generates up to 647 hp. Ford intended to build only about 1,000 GTs over the next several years.
Cena reportedly put in his application that the GT would go "to an owner who truly deserved it and would care properly for the car."
Once approved, Cena paid for the vehicle in two installments. The GT was delivered to Elder Ford in Tampa on Sept. 23. Cena sold the car in October to New Autos Inc. in Chico, Calif., according to court documents. Ford has also filed a lawsuit against the dealership.
In its lawsuit filed in November, Ford originally sought damages from Cena over $75,000. The automaker wanted to buy back the vehicle for $463,376.50 -- the price Cena paid for it -- and sought any profit that was made.
The lawsuit also states: "Ford reserves these unique vehicles for only those individuals who truly desire a special ownership experience, such as car enthusiasts and collectors, those individuals who will be influencers and ambassadors of the vehicle and the Ford brand, and those individuals who truly desire to maintain ownership of the vehicle for their own use and not for purposes of reselling, flipping, or brokering the vehicle, or for price speculation. As a result, Ford requires that the individuals who are ultimately selected to purchase the Ford GT agree not to sell their vehicle for 24 months after delivery."
The lawsuit said Ford "has lost the ability to control the reputation of its brand, the integrity of the Program and selection process, and who will receive a Ford GT in relation to the Program."
Cena filed to dismiss the lawsuit in February, claiming the two-year contract period was unclear in original agreement.
The motion to dismiss stated: "Ford's selling dealer included no resale restriction in the sales agreement, and Ford, therefore, cannot state any cause of action against Cena arising from Cena's resale of the subject vehicle."
