The 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition. Image: Supplied
Watch: Blast from the past – Ford to produce 1966 GT Heritage Edition
A legend revived: Ford announces first-ever Ford GT Heritage Edition in celebration of fabled 1966 Daytona win and 2021 Studio Collection graphics package.
The 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition. Image: Supplied
100% pure automotive eye candy. There seems little doubt that this is exactly what Ford hopes to deliver to the motoring world when it puts its very first 1966 Daytona-inspired Ford GT Heritage Edition onto the road early next year.
In a testament to the idea that only truly classic designs can endure, Ford Performance will not only revive the iconically shapely GT, but has also announced an accompanying and exclusive customisable design features package.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“Ford Performance will unveil a new Ford GT Heritage Edition inspired by the 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental, a stylish Frozen White with exposed carbon fibre and Race Red livery that pays homage to the 55th anniversary of the epic race where Ford achieved its first 24-hour endurance win,” revealed the company this week.
The Ford GT is America’s only Le Mans-winning supercar, and taking this pinnacle of Ford Performance even further, an exclusive Ford GT Studio Collection will offer new owners even more exclusivity with unique and widely customisable design features in a limited-availability package for only 40 Ford GT supercars slated for production across the 2021 and 2022 model years
ANNIVERSARY EDITION
“For this Heritage Edition, the Ford Performance team went deeper into the Ford GT’s race history and crafted a limited edition model that stylistically honours the 55th anniversary of the Daytona 24 Hour endurance race that would eventually lead to our successes at Le Mans,” said Ford GT programme manager Mike Severson.
“Plus, for customers who want to highlight the carbon-fibre body and functional cooling ducts that help deliver Le Mans-winning performance, the Ford GT Studio Collection offers another new way GT fans can personalise their supercars,” said Severson.
ENDURING LEGACY
The latest Heritage Edition to join the storied Ford GT supercar family is a tribute to the winner of the 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental, where Ford achieved its first 24-hour endurance win, which is captured in the 2019 film “Ford v Ferrari” – or “Le Mans ’66,” as it is known in Europe.
Co-drivers Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby led a 1-2-3-5 Ford domination at Daytona, kicking off a magical season for the Ford GT40 MK II, with additional 1-2-3 wins at Sebring and Le Mans. This Heritage Edition is the first to feature a livery famous for a race other than Le Mans.
“Miles and Ruby led nearly every lap of the 24-hour race and outpaced the competition by 30 miles,” said Severson.
“The win was the first time anyone had threatened Ferrari’s dominance in sports car racing and represented a turning point in the Ford GT race programme,” he said.
WINNING FORMULA
Inspired by the bold white, black and red exterior of the 1966 endurance-winning Ford GT40 MK II race car, the new 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition features Frozen White exterior paint with exposed carbon fibre hood adding stark contrast.
Asymmetrical Race Red accents on the front fascia and roof edge, driver’s side door and underneath the rear wing add distinct visuals, while exposed carbon fiber shapes the signature 98 roundel graphics and speak to the supercar’s lightweight body.
Unique Ford graphics on the lower rear-quarter panels plus one-piece Heritage Gold 20-inch forged aluminum wheels paired with red lacquered Brembo monoblock brake calipers complete this new exterior livery.
DRAMATIC INTERIOR
Inside, the lightweight driver-centric interior features unique appointments including black Alcantara® suede wrapping the instrument panel, headliner and steering wheel rim, while anodised red paddle shifters and red Alcantara suede performance seats add dramatic contrast to the interior.
For customers looking for an even bolder look, an optional Heritage Upgrade Package includes 20-inch exposed carbon fibre wheels with a unique gloss red-painted inner accent barrel, while monoblock brake calipers are lacquered in black and detailed with Brembo lettering in red.
Inside, ghosted 98 roundels provide a subtle contrast on both driver and passenger carbon fiber door panels of this package.
ALL-NEW GRAPHICS PACKAGE
All-new Ford GT Studio Collection Ford Performance also pulled the wraps off an exclusive series new to the supercar lineup, the Ford GT Studio Collection.
This all-new graphics package with customisable colours highlights key styling elements, including the functional cooling ducts that helps the 2021 Ford GT deliver all 660 horsepower during the most strenuous, high-temperature sessions at the track.
Its unique exterior graphics package was born of a design collaboration between Ford Performance and Ford GT manufacturer, Multimatic. It reflects the input of Garen Nicoghosian, Multimatic design head, who has worked on the Ford GT programme since its genesis.
“The combination of the stripes and accents invokes the emotion of speed and draws your eye to some of the most prominent features of the GT. The fuselage, buttresses and signature features on the headlights provide visual anchors for the graphics, guiding your eye across the vehicle,” explained Nicoghosian.
EXCLUSIVE AND LIMITED
Only 40 cars are slated to receive the Studio Collection package across the 2021 and 2022 model years. The body and graphics can be customised with seven standard colors or further personalised with an extended palette offering endless color combinations for even greater exclusivity.
Deliveries of the 2021 model year Ford GT begin in early 2021, with Ford GT production wrapping up in 2022.
