1966 | Ford Mustang GT

“World’s most extreme small block Mustang”

1966 Ford Mustang

Heavily modified historic racer

Eligible for YTCC, Histo Cup, Bernie’s V8’s and other open rules championships

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Think of iconic cars and the Ford Mustang is rightfully at the forefront of many people’s thinking. Often hailed as the original ‘pony car,’ the Mustang offered style and sportiness at a reasonably affordable price when it first hit the market in the mid-1960s. Now in its seventh generation and with over ten million examples sold, the Mustang has earned a rightful place amongst the automotive industry’s all-time greats.

With that in mind, the Mustang has also unsurprisingly become a popular choice, with the various V8-powered versions of the first generation particularly loved because of its grunt ‘n go nature. A lot of these cars have been kept as close to the original as possible, in accordance with the strict guidelines put in place for most historic racing series.

However, what happens when you take a different approach and set out to create a racing Mustang like no other? The result might look something like this remarkable Mustang offered for sale today.

Originally built in 1966, the car underwent a remarkable transformation in 2010. Built by Colin Bamford at MRN for Robin North, the goal was to create the best racing car possible, with money no object. The rebuild is understood to have cost £250,000, with the engine a particular point of focus.

The engine rebuild was carried out by Knight Racing Services’ Peter Knight, the world’s most renowned Ford V8 specialist in historic racing circles. Knight increased the capacity of the engine from 351 to 427 cubic inches (seven liters) producing an estimated 710 horsepower, describing it as the ‘most extreme small block Mustang’ he has seen. Knight’s technical support services remain available for the car today.

With such performance, the car has proven to be a competitive package in various international racing championships. North originally campaigned the car in the Bernie’s V8 series in the United Kingdom, where the car remains eligible to enter today. In later years, the Mustang turned heads at the 2019 edition of HSR’s Classic 24 Hour at Daytona International Speedway in the hands of Christian Dumolin and Pierre-Alain Thibaut. The latter, himself a prolific touring car racer in the 1980s and 1990s with multiple 24 Hours of Spa starts to his name, would later say it was one of the most spectacular cars he’s driven.

As the car is today, this Ford Mustang is eligible to compete in various open rules historic championships. In addition to Bernie’s V8s, this list also includes the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge (YTCC), the Trophée Saloon Car France, HistoCup Austria, Danish Youngtimers, Historic Modsports & Special Saloons and CTCRC Pre83 Touring Cars.

Some specs

Drive Line

·         Ford 351 small block to 427CI

·         710 BHP, 600 LBFT

·         All steel

·         Titanium valves

·         Kinsler Fuel Injection

·         Motec Motor Management with traction control

·         Dry Sump

·         Jericho Dog Box

·         Triple Plate Clutch

·         9 Inch live axle

·         Mark Williams True Track Diff

Chassis

·         Light weight composite Panels

·         Ohlin dampers

·         6 Pot Front and 4 Pot rear AP brakes

·         Fully uprated front suspension