New Mustang GT3 Livery Is A Racing Hits Playlist

While the Ford Mustang has gained a reputation for being difficult to handle by certain drivers at Cars and Coffee events, the truth is that the power that makes it a handful on the street has contributed to its success on racetracks worldwide over the course of its 60-year history.

To celebrate the silverware and the style of the car’s past, Ford has decided that for the 2024 season, its Mustang GT3 IMSA factory racecars will sport a technicolor “Champion Spirit” livery that pays homage to eight great racecars that came before it.

Read: Witness Ford’s Mustang GT3 Metamorphosis From Pony To Track Predator

“This livery is a fusion of art and history, celebrating the colors and designs of eight significant Mustang racers by creating a new, unique livery that encapsulates Mustang’s achievements in sports car racing since 1964,” writes Mark Rushbrook, the director of Global Ford Performance Motorsports. “Selecting just eight designs from a long list of iconic liveries was a challenging task.”

Despite the challenge, the team managed it, starting right at the beginning, with the 1964 Tour de France Mustangs. These took on one of the world’s great sports car racing events and ended Jaguar’s five-year winning streak.

The second inspiration was the 1965 SCCA B Production Mustang GT350, which was prepared for SCCA series racing by none other than Shelby American. The car won the 1965 SCCA B-Production championship with Jerry Titus at the wheel, and wound up winning three consecutive titles.

The third is the 1966 Shelby American Mustang, which built on the GT350’s success. Created for the first season of SCCA Trans-Am Series racing, it won four of seven races that year, securing the inaugural championship title.

Next, a splash of yellow comes from the 1970 Mustang Boss 302, which dominated that year’s SCCA Trans-Am title thanks to legendary drivers like George Follmer and Parnelli Jones. It won six races that season, earning itself the manufacturer’s and driver’s titles in the process.

The 1981 IMSA GTX Mustang comes next for its role in relaunching Ford’s sports car racing efforts. In its first-ever race, it was denied victory by just a tenth of a second, but it would end up winning races at Brainerd International Speedway and Sears Point in the GTX class.

Ford’s racing efforts continued through the ’80s and the exploits of the 1985 and 1987 Roush IMSA Mustangs are honored with the 2024 livery. While the earlier car broke barriers by helping Lynn St. James become the first woman to win in the IMSA series, the latter car took first place in the GTO class at the 1987 Daytona 24-hour race.

And the final racecar to inspire the Ford’s 2024 GT3 racer is the 1997 Mustang Cobra Trans-Am. Winning 11 consecutive races that season, earning Tommy Kendall the driver’s championship.