Ford’s latest GT Heritage Edition pays tribute to 1966 Le Mans sweep

Ford’s latest Heritage Edition pays homage to the marque’s 1-2-3 at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hour.

It actually tributes the third-placed GT40, which, funnily enough, was the only car on the podium not to include a Kiwi driver.

The race that saw Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon take overall honours, with Denny Hulme one place behind, had American pairing Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson finish third.

It’s that particular car, the No.5 GT40, that Ford has based this Heritage Edition model off of.

The gold livery has been meticulously detailed in the tribute, including the red highlights on the front bumper and the big Number 5.

Ford has also acknowledged the tribute is a modern car and has duly left bits of exposed carbon fibre to give the GT an intimidating look. You can find these on the splitter, diffusor and engine louvres.

The interior is well refined, with a mix of Alcantara and leather. These are dyed a dark ebony colour, while the gold splashes on the dash and the paddle shifters embody the exterior’s theme.

Ford’s Heritage Editions don’t come with any performance upgrades. So, the model still has a standard 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 churning out 485kW of power.

That engine is mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Rear-wheel drive is the only option.

No word has been said on how many models Ford will build, except it will only be available in “ultra-limited” numbers. On top of that, you have to be an approved Ford GT customer to order it.

The Edition will also be the last of the 2022 model year.