Ford is turning back the clock for Petit Le Mans, with its factory Mustang GT3 team preparing two race cars in a livery inspired by Sweepstakes, the two-seat racer Henry Ford drove to victory in 1901. The No. 64 and No. 65 Mustangs will debut the design at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 3 during the 10-hour endurance event.

The tribute marks a key moment in Ford’s corporate history. On October 10, 1901, Henry Ford used Sweepstakes to win a 10-mile race in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, defeating Alexander Winton, a prominent automaker and racer of the era. Ford’s victory helped him attract investors for his next automotive venture, which became Ford Motor Company when it was incorporated in June 1903.

A Mustang GT3 livery based on Sweepstakes

Ford’s design team looked beyond a simple heritage logo for the tribute. The Mustang GT3s replace their familiar blue-and-white racing colors with a black base accented by burgundy and gold graphics. The original Ford Motor Company logo appears in gold, while “Racing Since 1901” lettering spans the hood.

Additional graphics reference Ford’s 1903 founding, linking the modern IMSA race cars to the company’s earliest days. The drivers’ firesuits continue the theme, using styling based on the three-piece outfit Henry Ford reportedly wore when he raced Sweepstakes.

The original racer reportedly reached about 60 miles per hour, a remarkable speed for its time. Ford is using that figure and the 1901 victory to frame the Mustang GT3 as the latest entry in a racing story that began 125 years ago.

Ford illuminates the entire Mustang pony

The tribute also changes the Mustang GT3’s signature rear-fender emblem. The car already uses Ford’s “Glow Pony,” an illuminated outline of the Mustang logo. For Petit Le Mans, the full pony will light up for the first time on a factory Mustang GT3.

A black-and-gold American flag sits inside the illuminated emblem. Ford says the detail connects the car’s history-focused design with the United States’ 250th anniversary.

Drivers and GTD Pro race details

Both tribute cars will compete in the GTD Pro class at Petit Le Mans. Dennis Olsen and Ben Barker will share the No. 64 Mustang GT3, while Christopher Mies and Frédéric Vervisch will drive the No. 65.

The event is the season finale for Ford’s factory Mustang GT3 program. The automaker has already committed to continuing with the same GTD Pro lineup for the 2027 season, giving the modern Mustang a longer runway in top-level endurance racing.

For Ford, the special livery is more than a one-off visual change. It places the current Mustang GT3 alongside Sweepstakes, the approximately 60-mph machine whose 1901 win helped put Henry Ford on the path to establishing the company that bears his name.