The Ford GT Heritage Edition 2021 will pay tribute to the 1966 victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona

At the time, Ford achieved numerous milestones with the GT40, among them winning the brutally demanding 24 Hours of Le Mans four years in a row, but even before that it had already made its calling card and laid the groundwork for its track record at another legendary event, the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1966, with drivers Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby, the same pair who had won the 2000 km of Daytona a year earlier with a GT40 prototype.

With the arrival of the production Ford GT, the modern heir to the GT40, it is customary for the brand with the oval to commemorate its famous victories with special editions, Heritage Edition, as it did, for example, last year with the Heritage Edition in the Gulf Oil colours to celebrate the Le Mans victories and, this year, it is time to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona. It is worth noting that this special edition designation is not exclusive to the Ford GT, since we recently saw the Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R receive the Heritage Edition Package to mark 55 years since their creation under Carroll Shelby.

The new Ford GT Heritage Edition 2021 takes its exterior inspiration from the colour combination used on Miles and Ruby’s GT40 MKII, choosing for its bodywork the Frozen White colour, combined with the exposed carbon fibre used for the bonnet, front splitter, side skirts and part of the rear wing, while the contrasting accent is provided by Race Red applied asymmetrically to the front, the start of the roof, the driver’s door and beneath the rear wing. This exterior look is completed with specific graphics for the lower rear quarter panels, 20-inch Heritage Gold forged aluminium wheels, red brake calipers and the number 98 race number.

Inside the Ford GT Heritage Edition 2021, black is the dominant colour, thanks to Alcantara in that colour, applied to the instrument panel, roof lining and steering wheel. Furthermore, as on the exterior, the contrast comes from the red anodised gear shift paddles and the red also applied to the Alcantara used on the seats, all in combination with the carbon fibre of numerous interior elements. For those who want to stand out a little more, a performance pack is available, featuring 20-inch exposed carbon fibre wheels with bright red detailing, black brake calipers with red Brembo lettering and the number 98 on the interior door panels.

Taking advantage of the announcement of the new Ford GT Heritage Edition 2021, Ford Performance has also announced the Ford GT Studio Collection, which are strictly 40 exclusive units that will receive a specific graphics package created in collaboration with Multimatic. These graphics highlight the model’s key features and lines and can be personalised in seven standard colours or with an optional colour palette for greater customisation.