It’s the 60s and Henry Ford II is in trouble. The company is underperforming, and he just can’t seem to fill his famous father’s very large shoes.
And then somebody floats the idea. Why not create a race car that can challenge Ferrari at Le Mans? Some would call it an incredulous marketing stunt. Others would say it paved the way for arguably one of the greatest race mobiles to compete at the prestigious event.
After 24 hours of gruelling intensity at the ’66 Le Mans, three GT40 MK IIs cross the finishing line in unison, restoring Ford’s glory.
Onwards and upwards for Chassis P/1046
After a landslide victory for the GT40, with an unsavory twist for Ken Miles, Chassis P/1046 hung up its fender and slipped into early retirement.
But ain’t nobody gonna allow the beloved racecar to gather dust like some cheap twisted metal chump. This is a racing hall of famer, and after passing through multiple owners, Rob Kauffman took up the challenge of fully restoring the old mare in 2014.
After more than 4000 long hours of sweat, blood and tears, the GT40 MK II was reborn in her race-ready state, with a new set of boobs and some fillers.
Since then, Chassis P/1046 has made a fair few public appearances. She watched Sebastien Boudais steer her descendant Ford GT to victory in the 2016 Le Mans, and joined Matt Damon and Christian Bale on the red carpet for the opening of “Ford V Ferrari.”
What a car, what a story.
Celebrating Ford’s GT40 heritage
And now, 55 years after the GT40 debuted at the Daytona 24-hour drive-a-thon, Ford are paying homage to the iconic super car with a new 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition trim, and we gotta say she sure does justice to her 60s counterpart.
A Frozen White finish, asymmetrical Race Red accents and exposed carbon fibre hood add contrast to this distinctive piece of eye candy. Not to mention the iconic ’98’ wrap on the flanks.
If you want to push the envelope even further, you can choose the Heritage Upgrade Package, featuring 20-inch exposed carbon fibre wheels with a glossy red inner accent barrel and Brembo monoblock brake calipers lacquered in black.
Finally, style your ride up with the all-new Ford GT Studio Collection graphics package, which includes functional cooling ducts that can summon all 660 ponies on track days.
By the way, just 40 cars will benefit from the Studio Package’s wide palette, so make haste or you’ll lose out on the ultra exclusivity!
Also, if you can’t get enough of the GT40 MKII, check this out.
