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Ford Reveals 2021 Heritage Edition of the Ford GT

By Andrew Steadman

Ken Miles, Denny Hulme, Ford MkII, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans, 19 June 1966. Denny Hulme and teammate Ken Miles at the finish of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans where they finished second driving the Ford MkII. (Photo by Bernard Cahier/Getty Images)
Ken Miles, Denny Hulme, Ford MkII, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans, 19 June 1966. Denny Hulme and teammate Ken Miles at the finish of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans where they finished second driving the Ford MkII. (Photo by Bernard Cahier/Getty Images) /
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Ford is commemorating the legendary Ford GT40’s victory at the Daytona 24 Hour Continental race with a special Heritage Edition of the Ford GT.

The limited edition GT is a celebration of the 55th anniversary of Ford’s successes at Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring during the 1966 season.

The Heritage Edition features white, black, and red livery that may be unfamiliar for those who only know the more-famous 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans GT40. The colors of the new car are a nod to the car driven by Ken Miles when he placed first at Daytona during the same year.

The interior of the Heritage Edition continues the color scheme with red-on-black upholstery and “exposed carbon fiber.” Check out Ford’s promo video for the Heritage Edition on YouTube:

Ford v Ferrari, released in 2019 and starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, brought the story of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles to a new generation of fans. Although most Americans likely have seen the “Shelby” name applied to modern Ford Mustangs, his impact on automotive history may have faded from memory.

Ken Miles, Carroll Shelby, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans, 19 June 1966. Ken Miles with Carroll Shelby during the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. (Photo by Bernard Cahier/Getty Images)
Ken Miles, Carroll Shelby, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans, 19 June 1966. Ken Miles with Carroll Shelby during the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. (Photo by Bernard Cahier/Getty Images) /

Along with the legendary camaraderie of Shelby and Miles, the vaunted Ford GT40 played a starring role in the film. Ford’s breakthrough race car made its name in international racing by defeating the previously unstoppable Ferrari teams at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The new edition of the Ford GT is clearly an attempt to cash in on the success of the movie, which brought more publicity to the lesser-known victory at Daytona. Ford’s teams actually placed 1-2-3-5 at the race, an unprecedented coup for the American automaker that had previously been unable to escape Enzo Ferrari’s shadow.

Related Story. Replica GT40 From Ford v Ferrari to be Auctioned. light

The GT40 was produced in limited numbers specifically as racing cars. However, Ford revived the nameplate with the Ford GT in 2004, then again in 2017.

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