COLOGNE, Germany, March 1, 2017 – It’s a gift 50 years in the making that could set your child on the path to becoming a racing legend. The iconic Ford GT40 and new Ford GT that won Le Mans 24 Hours in 1966 and 2016 have been brought to life in LEGO® bricks.
The new LEGO Speed Champions set includes both cars as well as racing driver minifigures, a chequered flag and even a trophy to make it easy to recreate those history-making victories.
“Many people in my team grew up with the legend of Ford’s history-making 1966 victory – and experienced the excitement of building and design for the first time through LEGO bricks,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “This kit is a powerful way to tell our Le Mans story, and will hopefully inspire the race drivers, engineers, and designers of the future.”
Ford won at Le Mans last year after returning to the scene of what was a historic 1-2-3 clean sweep 50 years previously. Four Ford GT race cars will be back at Le Mans for the 2017 race later this year. The LEGO Group worked closely with Ford’s design and licensing teams on every detail of the 1966 winning car, and the new Ford GT race car.
“This was a dream project – with a lot of pressure. The Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic race cars of all time, and the new Ford GT is just incredible,” said Craig Callum, head of design, LEGO Speed Champions. “Designed for children, but with grown-ups fans in mind too, we know these models will be closely scrutinized for authenticity.”
Callum, who in his spare time races a Ford Model A hot-rod, and started out as a designer of full-sized cars, helped develop ten prototypes before the final versions of each model were selected, all created from existing LEGO bricks.
You can watch Callum assemble the new kit in record time here. https://youtu.be/lauf-iym1zM
The new 2016 Ford GT and 1966 Ford GT40 set are available to order at LEGO.com/shop from March 1, 2017, with a recommended retail price of €34.99 (£29.99). A Ford Mustang set is also on sale now, alongside a Ford F 150 Raptor with trailer and Ford Model A hot rod.
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Editor’s notes
The #68 Ford GT of Sébastien Bourdais (FRA), Joey Hand (US) and Dirk Müller (GER) crossed the finish line as the winner in the GTE-Pro class of the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The #2 Ford GT40 Mark II driven by Bruce McLaren (NZ) and Chris Amon (NZ) took first place at Le Mans in 1966 – leading a Ford clean sweep of the three podium positions. The 1966 race was Ford’s first ever win at Le Mans, and the first of four successive victories at the iconic endurance race.
The ultra-high-performance Ford GT supercar is the most advanced Ford production vehicle ever, featuring the latest in lightweighting, aerodynamics and EcoBoost engine technology – an innovation showcase for the Ford brand. The Ford GT’s top speed is 347 km/h (216 mph).
The Ford GT40 Mark II featured a lightweight aluminium chassis, rear-wheel drive and a 7.0-litre Ford V8 engine. The car was named the GT (Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its height at the top of the windscreen in inches.
LEGO Speed Champions puts children in the driver seat, as they build and race some of the most famous cars ever produced, with authentic designs and exciting accessories to inspire young imaginations.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 201,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 52,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 68,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 24 manufacturing facilities (16 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and 8 unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.
About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, and main offices in Enfield, USA, London, UK, Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and based on the iconic LEGO® brick, it is one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials.
Guided by the company spirit: "Only the best is good enough”, the company is committed to the development of children and aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through creative play and learning. LEGO products are sold worldwide and can be virtually explored at www.LEGO.com.
For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit http://www.LEGO.com/aboutus.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, DUPLO, BIONICLE, LEGENDS OF CHIMA, DIMENSIONS, the FRIENDS logo, the MINIFIGURES logo, MINDSTORMS, MIXELS, NINJAGO and NEXO KNIGHTS are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2017 The LEGO Group.
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