The excitement at the 2018 North American International Auto Show was tempered by the news of American racing legend Dan Gurney's death at 86. Gurney was so much more than a race car driver—he was an institution, an inspiration, an innovator who never stopped working as motorsport's fiercest defender and most respected critic.

Today, Ford paid special tribute to our hero.

Raj Nair, President of Ford North America and the man who spearheaded the GT project and Ford's return to Le Mans, today placed a Gurney tribute on the flanks of the Ford GT gracing the automaker's stand at the Detroit Auto Show.

Brian Williams

It's a fitting way to honor the legend: The GT on Ford's stand is a '67 Le Mans Heritage Edition, wearing the exact same color scheme as the one Gurney and AJ Foyt drove to victory at Le Mans in 1967—the start of an unsurpassed week in motorsports that ended with Gurney taking victory in a Formula 1 race just days later.

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Rest In Peace Dan Gurney pic.twitter.com/HFzjboJnh3 — Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) January 15, 2018

Read our tribute to Gurney, penned by his personal friend Marshall Pruett, here.

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