In 1966, Ford famously defeated Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, putting an end to the Prancing Horse’s half-dozen consecutive wins at the iconic endurance event. And while Carroll Shelby obviously played a pivotal role in the creation and preparation of the Blue Oval’s Le Mans winners, the UK’s Alan Mann Racing was also instrumental in the development of the original GT40 prototypes. So, for the final generation of its current supercar model, the Michigan marque has opted to honor the Surrey-based race squad with a limited edition run of Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition supercars.
The seventh installment in Ford’s Heritage Edition series GT lineup, the limited-edition model pays tribute to Alan Mann Racing’s lightweight 1966 Ford GT experimental race cars — aluminum-bodied prototypes modeled after the MkI GT40. And while Alan Mann’s prototype machines never achieved any noteworthy race wins, they nonetheless played an important role in the overall development and evolution of the GT40 that would eventually enable it to claim a 1-2-3 podium sweep over Ferrari at the ’66 running of Le Mans.
Also paying homage to Alan Mann Racing’s AM GT-1 racer, the latest Heritage Edition Ford features a slew of upgrades and nods to the 1960s prototypes. In addition to red and black Brembo brakes and an active wing, this includes a front splitter, side sills, mirrors, a rear diffuser, engine louvers, and 20” wheels with blacked-out lugnuts that are all crafted from carbon fiber. The interior of the American-made supercar has also been treated to a carbon fiber trim package that includes Ebony Alcantara-upholstered carbon seats and a flat-bottom steering wheel with contrasting red accent stitching and dual-clutch paddle shifters that are finished in the same hue of red that adorns the car’s exterior. The entire car comes cloaked in a special replica race livery with a red base juxtaposed via gold race strips and white roundels wearing the prototype’s #16 race number adorning the hood and doors.
Available exclusively to “approved Ford GT customers,” the 2022 Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition is expected to begin deliveries later this quarter. And while pricing and production numbers have yet to be revealed, we anticipate this Heritage Edition model to carry an MSRP that’s substantially greater than the base model’s $500,000 price tag. An example of the Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition will also be on display alongside the original 1966 Ford AM GT-1 prototype next week at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show.
