Ford pays tribute to the GT40 prototype | GRR
The current Ford GT is very near the end of its production and to celebrate the end, Ford has chosen to go back to the beginning. This limited-run Ford GT Heritage Edition pays homage not to a race-winner but to the original Ford GT40 prototypes.
Yes, those prototypes, one of which is famously pictured taking laps of the Goodwood Motor Circuit all the way back in the early 1960s. Stunning in off “Wimbledon” white, it also apes that distinctive black covering at the front. The blue carbon wheels are less reminiscent of the ‘60s…
On the inside, exposed carbon, “Lightspeed Blue” Alcantara seats with silver stitching and ebony leather. The last surviving original prototype, GT/105, will be on display at The Quail and on the concept lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d”elegance this week, alongside the new car.
“There are a lot of milestone moments in the history of Ford GT that we’ve celebrated, but the team was unanimous in believing the original prototype was the right vehicle this time around,” said Mike Severson, Ford GT programme manager. “That 1964 prototype unleashed the creative genius of the Ford Advanced Vehicles team and paved the way for the Ford GT program. It put all of this in motion.”
This is of course only the latest in a long line of Heritage Edition Ford GTs, going all the way back to the 2006 car. Of the current generation, less than 200 of been made. Of those, most look at the original’s success at Le Mans, with the 1966 Heritage Edition, 1967 Heritage Edition, 1968 Heritage Edition and 1969 Heritage Edition. The latest before the prototype-themed cars was the 1966 Daytona Heritage Edition. Is this latest and potentially last Heritage Edition the coolest of the lot?