Ford unveils 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition to commemorate 50th Anniversary of historic 1-2-3 win at Le Mans
In 1966 and later, Ford did the unthinkable by beating Ferrari at Le Mans. 1966 is particularly significant to Ford because it won the 1-2-3 positions with the legendary GT40 Mark II at a time when Ferrari dominated the event. To mark this significant historical event in Ford racing history, Ford is celebrating the 50th Anniversary with the introduction of the 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition.
Driven to victory by Bruce McLaren and Chris Anon, it was the first time that Ford had beat Ferrari. At the time, the win was personal for both Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari. Ford had offered Ferrari the handsome sum of $10 million to buy Ferrari outright but Ferrari thought they were worth closer to $16 million. Keep in mind that Ferrari was pretty much building road cars to fund their racing activities. When Ferrari realized that selling the company meant giving up control of Ferrari’s racing program, he rebuffed Ford’s offer. He also thought that Ferrari was worth more than what Ford was offering. Ford’s response was to build car that would end Ferrari’s dominance of endurance racing and Le Mans in particular. That vehicle was the Ford GT Mark II.
The 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition
Paying tribute to the vehicle and its drivers, the limited edition 2017 GT ’66 Heritage Edition features a Shadow Black exterior with a choice of a gloss or matte finish. Exterior accents include Silver stripes, a carbon fiber styling package, and Frozen White ‘#2’ graphics. New wheels are also added to the mix in the form of 20-inch forged aluminum wheels with a gold satin finish that contrasts nicely with black lug nuts.
Commemorative styling of the 2017 GT ’66 Heritage Edition extend to the inside of the vehicle as well in the form of carbon-fiber seats and ebony leather upholstery and pillowed inserts. Inteior accents include matte carbon fiber trim, an individually-numbered commemorative plaque, and special seat belts with a blue webbing that are like the ones used in the winning race car. Topping off the list of modifications is the instrument panel with gold accents, the seat X-braces, and paddle shifters.
The 2017 Ford ’66 Heritage Edition is a stunning tribute to the legendary vehicle that started Ford’s string of Le Man’s victories in 1966. Availability and pricing is not available.
Source: Ford
