Ford Performance has taken inspiration from a historic Daytona win to create the first Heritage Edition Ford GT. The unique livery will be available on just 40 upcoming 2021 and 2022 GT models.

The livery on the new GT pays homage to the old, with a modern twist. It features a Frozen White exterior paint job with exposed carbon fiber. There are Race Red accents on the car’s front fascia and roof edge, driver’s side door, and underneath the rear wing. Exposed carbon fiber shapes the signature 98 roundel graphics and there are Unique Ford graphics on the lower rear-quarter panels. One-piece Heritage Gold 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels are paired with red lacquered Brembo monoblock brake calipers to complete the look.

Similar styling was on the GT that won the race where Ford achieved its first 24-hour endurance win at the 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental race – the contest fictionalized in the movie “Ford vs. Ferrari“. During that race, co-drivers Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby led a 1-2-3-5 Ford domination at Daytona, kicking off a sensational 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 program.”

The 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental race featured the No. 98 Ford GT.Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

The car’s inside is better-appointed than the ’66 GT race car. It features a black Alcantara suede-wrapped instrument panel, headliner, and steering wheel rim. There are anodized red paddle shifters and red Alcantara suede performance seats.

“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 honors the 55th anniversary of the Daytona 24 Hour endurance race that would eventually lead to our successes at Le Mans,” said Mike Severson, Ford GT program manager. “Plus, for customers who want to highlight the carbon-fiber body and functional cooling ducts that help deliver Le Mans-winning performance, the Ford GT Studio Collection offers another new way GT fans can personalize their supercars.”

Buyers can choose to upgrade their GT with the optional Heritage Upgrade Package. It includes 20-inch exposed carbon fiber wheels with a unique gloss red-painted inner accent barrel, black monoblock brake calipers with red Brembo lettering, ghosted 98 roundels, and driver and passenger carbon fiber door panels.

Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby in 1966.

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

Additionally, the company debuts a new Studio Collection today. The Studio Collection graphics package features customizable colors that highlight key styling elements, including the functional cooling ducts. The package was born from a collaboration between Ford Performance and Ford GT manufacturer, Multimatic.

“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,” said Nicoghosian. “The fuselage, buttresses and signature features on the headlights provide visual anchors for the graphics, guiding your eye across the vehicle.”

Deliveries of the 2021 model year Ford GT begin in early 2021, with Ford GT production wrapping up in 2022.