Ford Pays Tribute to 1966 Daytona Winning GT40 with Latest Heritage GT

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We must all know the story well enough by now right? In 1963 Ford tries to buy Ferrari, after finding out his company will no longer be in control if he agrees to Ford’s deal, Enzo tells Henry Ford II to get stuffed at the last minute.

Henry Ford gets pretty livid and orders his suits to build him a car to destroy Ferrari at Le Mans. The result, the GT40, and that infamous 1-2-3 photo finish at Le Mans in 1966.

While the events of Le Mans 66, and the GT40 immortalized in the film “Ford V Ferrari, be it with some Hollywood tweaking of the truth for the sake of storytelling, Le Mans wasn’t Ford’s first 24 hour win. That happened a four months prior at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

With Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby at the wheel, the Shelby American prepared GT40 MK2 blitzed the field to take victory by 30 miles, and sent a clear message to Enzo Ferrari, that the blue oval was coming to Le Mans to do battle that year.

Now, Ford have paid tribute to that win 55 years on with a very special 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition. The Dayton Tribute is the first Heritage Edition not to reference Le Mans. Painted in the same colour scheme and racing number as the Miles/Ruby car, it will be limited to just 40 units.

All examples will be have a 98 roundel graphic on the sides, Frozen White paint scheme, and an exposed carbon-fiber bonnet. All four Heritage Gold 20-inch alloys get red Brembo brake calipers.

Inside you get black Alcantara suede above the instrument cluster, headliner, and steering wheel rim. Lashings of red are also found on the paddle shifters and Alcantara suede performance seats.

With only 40 examples available, die hard GT or Ken Miles fans will have to be quick.

By Ben Selby