The 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition features optional exposed carbon fiber roundels
As promised, here are some images of the new 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition in Gulf Livery. This color combination, paying homage to the famous Gulf Livery worn by the 1968 and 1969 Ford GT40s that won Le Mans, will be available for the 2020 model year GT, too. Only a limited number of new Ford GT buyers will be allowed to purchase this Gulf Livery Heritage Edition, and I’m not one of them.
The 2017 Ford GT Heritage Edition was available in gloss or matte black.
If you’re a new Ford GT fan you already know the company has been making a “heritage” edition of the Ford GT every year since it was introduced. The first year new Ford GT Heritage model paid homage to Bruce McLaren’s GT40 win at Le Man in 1966. I reported on the debut of this black-and-silver new Ford GT 2 years ago during Monterey Car Week.
The 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition in Shadow Black
You can see all the color and trim options for the new Ford GT at the Ford GT configurator, but for buyers looking to take the easy way out back in 2017 there was the Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition. This one is designed to pay homage to the original GT40 that won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mens race. It debuted at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours in Monterey.
A row of Ford GT40s lined the lawn at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours
2016 marked the 50th anniversary of Ford’s first Le Mans win in 1966, and as you might expect there were plenty of celebrations going on that year to mark the occasion. The 2016 Pebble Beach Concours got into the action by inviting every original Ford GT40 to the show. A surprising number of GT40s showed up, too. I’m pretty sure this was the biggest collection of Ford GT40s to ever appear in one place.
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II
I’m not an expert on the Ford GT40, but I do idolize their race history and I find them beautiful in pretty much every color and race livery. Rather than trying to list all the interesting historical facts related to the cars I saw at Pebble Beach I’ll just post the Ford GT40 photos I took and let you enjoy them for the visual feast they offer.
My Ford GT looks even better from overhead, but I don’t usually get to see it that way
The Ford GT’s excellent design makes it look good from pretty much any angle. But my favorite angle is the overhead look you can only get from an elevated position. That’s not an easy position to get to unless you have a ladder, but I drove my Ford GT to Monterey Car Week this year, and on the drive up we stayed at a hotel with a balcony.
My Ford GT had its drivers side Takata airbag replaced over a year after the recall
Over a year after receiving my Takata airbag recall notice I received a follow-up notice saying the parts were available. It took awhile to get my Ford GT to a local dealership, and I was nervous about letting the dealer service staff drive it. I still worry about people who aren’t familiar with the GT’s shift pattern, because many novice GT drivers confuse 1st and 3rd gear, and driving a Ford GT in 3rd gear at low speeds can quickly fry the clutch.
My new Ford GT won’t look exactly like this one…but close…
So…well, it’s been a while since I updated this site. I’d like to blame it on being really busy (which I am) with really important things (which they are). Yet the truth is a bit more complex. When I learned I wouldn’t be getting my new Ford GT until at least the fall of 2018 I also realized I simply didn’t have enough material to keep this site vibrant for 2 years before my new GT ever showed up.
The new Ford GT looks good in nearly any color, including Liquid Red
The new Ford GT’s design is stunning in almost any color. The low profile, aggressive body lines and flying buttresses give it a visual presence few street cars can match. If you’ve been allocated one and have to pick a color, stripe and wheel combination the choice isn’t easy. I’ve been playing around with the Ford GT configurator and while I’ve eliminated a few colors there are still several I’m considering.
My Ford GT joined other cool Fords at the local Cars and Coffee
A consistently rich and diverse collection of cars showed up to my local Cars and Coffee every week when it was in Aliso Viejo. If I have one disappointment regarding Cars and Coffee it’s that I don’t go very often (I’m not a morning person by nature). But I took the Ford GT over a few times before it ended and shifted to San Clemente, and it’s always drawn a solid crowd of admirers.
The Ford GT returned to Le Mans 50 years after its first victory
Fifty years after winning Le Mans in a 1-2-3 sweep, Ford Motor Company returned to the most famous race in the world. This 24-hour test of man and machine, with a 90-plus-year history, remains the pinnacle of endurance racing. Winning the 24 hours of Le Mans is a claim every automaker wants to make — but only 14 can. Winning Le Mans four or more times, which Ford did from 1966 to 1969, has only been accomplished by 6 automakers. So when Ford returned to Le Mans with the new Ford GT in 2016, it was a big deal.
A tour of the Le Mans pit area was one of many perks of this trip
I was fortunate enough to attend the race for the first time that year. It had been on my bucket list forever, and I figured this was the year to make it happen. Happily, the Ford GT Forum felt the same way and arranged a group travel package for owners. By working directly with the automaker the Ford GT Forum was able to secure space in Ford’s VIP suite, which overlooks the front straight at Le Mans.
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