Let’s travel back in time … to April 3, 1964, at the New York International Auto Show, where Ford unveiled a new prototype of what would become one of their most important cars for years to come … the 1964 Ford GT prototype, chassis GT/101, that became America’s only Le Mans-winning supercar from 1966 to 1969 … only to repeat that feat again in 2016 with the next generation of that 1964 prototype.
In 2021 only one of the 1964 Ford GT prototypes still exists, chassis GT/105, and she is still boasting the same livery as 57 years ago, and this car was the perfect candidate to park next to the brand new 2022 Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition during Monterey Car Week where Ford debuted this special edition of the current Ford GT as she enters her final year of production.
“This is the first Ford GT Heritage Edition that goes beyond celebrating race wins – this one goes deep, and honors the earliest of Ford supercar heritage,” said Mike Severson, Ford GT program manager. “The Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition is a modern interpretation of the original, with no mistaking what this car is paying tribute to.”
The new 2022 Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition is finished in the classic Wimbledon White paint complete with Antimatter Blue graphics, including an over-the-roof triple racing stripe as a tribute to the five original GT prototypes. Being a 21st-century supercar, this new Ford GT comes with exposed carbon fiber components and 20-inch Antimatter Blue-painted carbon fiber wheels, a touch unique to Ford GT, as well as an exposed glossy carbon fiber front splitter, side sills, mirror stalks, engine louvers, and rear diffuser. The standard Brembo® brake calipers get a silver with a black graphics finish while black lug nuts finalize the modern look.
On the inside, the color-match with the blue exterior details comes in the form of blue Alcantara carbon fiber seats with silver stitching and embossed GT logo, the instrument panel is done in Ebony leather whit Lightspeed Blue Alcantara, the pillars and headliner are finished in Ebony Alcantara. Antimatter Blue appliqués on the instrument panel, door register bezels, and seat X-brace are coordinated with the bespoke wheels.
“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,” Severson said. “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.”
Back in the Sixties only 5 Ford GT prototypes were built, GT/101 and GT/102 got scrapped after Le Mans and Monza crash testing, which lead to much-needed improvements for the next three cars, GT/103, GT/104, and GT/105 … GT/103 would win at Daytona® in 1965 with Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby behind the wheel, at that same race GT/104 came in third with Bob Bondurant and Ritchie Ginther. While both GT/103 and GT/104 have been repainted today, the GT/105 is the only one that still wears her original livery from the Sixties.
This new 2022 Ford GT ’64 Heritage Edition isn’t the first highly limited edition model in this production series, which started in 2006 with the 2006 Ford GT Gulf Livery Heritage Edition as a commemorative edition for the GT40’s back-to-back 24 Hours of Le Mans titles in 1968 and 1969, a total of 343 units were produced in this first Heritage Edition series.
The second special edition came in 2017 with the 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition to celebrate the Ford GT40 MK II No. 2 that Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon drove at 1966 Le Mans, only 27 units were ever built, a year later we saw the 2018 Ford GT ’67 Heritage Edition that was built to honor the Ford GT40 MK IV No. 1 race car that was victorious at Le Mans in 1967, only 39 units of this 2018 model were built. Probably one of the most iconic Heritage Editions is the one of fifty 2019 Ford GT ’68 Gulf Livery Heritage Edition that was an homage to the Ford GT40 MK I No. 9 race car that won the 1968 Le Mans endurance race.
In 2020 Ford released another 50 unit limited edition as the 2020 Ford GT ’69 Gulf Livery Heritage Edition honoring the Ford GT40 MK I No. 6 race car that took the 1969 Le Mans victory, while the 2021 Ford GT ’66 Daytona Heritage Edition is still in production at the time of writing, this one is a tribute to the Ford GT MK II No. 98 race car, and now we get the ultimate 2022 Ford GT ’64 Heritage Edition that is the sixth one in this series.
You can now get your name on the order list for the 2022 Ford GT, if you’re an approved Ford GT customer, production of this model is set to start in January 2022.
