From Le Mans-winning GT40s and rare Mustang Cobra Rs to engineering prototypes that never reached production, MustangMagazine was invited inside Ford’s new Heritage Fleet facility in Romulus, Michigan.
ROMULUS, Mich. — There are plenty of places where you can see a historic Ford Mustang, a rare Shelby, or even a Ford GT. But getting the opportunity to walk through a building filled with some of the most significant vehicles in Ford Motor Company’s history? That’s something entirely different.
Recently, MustangMagazine was invited by Ford to tour its new Heritage Fleet facility, known as The Ford Vault, in Romulus, Michigan. With insight from Ted Ryan, Archives & Heritage Brand Manager at Ford; Nick Terzes, Ford Racing Heritage Business Manager; and Gordon Platto, Design Director, Design Excellence at Ford, we had the opportunity to get an up-close look at a collection that spans decades of Ford’s automotive and motorsports history.
And when we say up close, we mean it.
We’re talking about historic Ford GT40s, rare Mustang prototypes, SVT development vehicles, Cobra Rs, Ford GTs, Mustang GTDs, concept cars, and vehicles that most enthusiasts have probably only seen in old magazines, photographs or movies.
But what really stood out wasn’t just the number of significant cars inside the building. It was the effort Ford has put into preserving the stories behind them.
All Roads Start With Ford
One of the first things that caught our attention when entering the vehicle collection was a message displayed across the floor: “All Roads Start With Ford.”
It’s a fitting introduction to what waits beyond it.
A blue-striped roadway guides visitors through the collection, connecting vehicles from different eras of Ford’s history. Instead of simply lining up cars in a warehouse, Ford has created an environment that gives the collection a sense of purpose.
Around one corner, you might find a Mustang that helped define an entire generation of performance cars. Around another, a prototype that never made it beyond Ford’s engineering department. Then, just a few steps away, a race car connected to one of the company’s biggest motorsports achievements.
The variety is almost overwhelming.
What makes the experience especially interesting is that many of these vehicles weren’t necessarily built to be preserved. Some were engineering test beds, others were concepts used to explore future designs, and a few represent milestones that could never be recreated.
For Mustang enthusiasts, it’s a rare opportunity to see the evolution of the nameplate through vehicles that helped shape its future.
From the Glass House to a New Home in Romulus
Ford’s efforts to preserve its history go back much further than this new facility.
The Ford Motor Company Archives were formally established in 1951, initially at the Fair Lane Estate. Over the decades, Ford’s archival collections moved through several facilities, preserving everything from historical documents and engineering records to photographs and design materials.
More recently, Ford launched the online Heritage Vault in 2022, giving enthusiasts access to thousands of historical photographs, brochures, and other materials.
The vehicle side of Ford’s preservation efforts has undergone a significant transformation of its own.
For years, historically important vehicles were scattered across different Ford departments, storage facilities, and locations around the world. Some were retained by engineering teams, others by Ford Performance, and still others by employees who recognized their historical significance.
In 2024, Ford began bringing those efforts together under a more organized Heritage Fleet program.
The initiative gained public attention in March 2025, when Ford displayed more than 50 historically significant vehicles at its World Headquarters in Dearborn, better known as the Glass House.
That display offered a glimpse of what Ford had been collecting, but it was only part of the larger story.
Now, the new Ford Vault in Romulus provides a dedicated home for a substantial portion of the company’s U.S. Heritage Fleet. Recent reporting indicates that more than 122 vehicles are housed inside the facility, ranging from significant production models to one-off concepts and engineering prototypes.
And for Mustang enthusiasts, some of the most interesting vehicles inside are the ones that never reached a dealership showroom.
A Mustang Collection Unlike Any Other
It’s difficult to know where to start when you’re surrounded by so much Mustang history.
Among the vehicles we encountered were examples of Ford’s legendary SVT Mustang Cobra R program, including the 1993, 1995, & 2000 models.
The 1993 Cobra R represents one of the earliest examples of SVT taking the Fox-body Mustang and pushing it toward a more dedicated track-focused package. Ford produced just 107 examples, making it one of the rarest production Fox-body Mustangs ever built.
The 1995 Cobra R continued that philosophy with a larger 5.8-liter Windsor V8, upgraded cooling, and a stripped-down approach intended for serious performance driving.
Seeing these cars preserved alongside later Ford Performance vehicles makes it easier to appreciate how much of today’s Mustang performance philosophy can be traced back to the early SVT years.
The collection also includes the Boss 351 concept Mustang, a particularly interesting piece of Ford’s performance history that deserves attention beyond the production models most enthusiasts already know.
Other highlights include the 10 millionth Mustang produced, a 2019 Wimbledon White Mustang GT convertible built in 2018, and the final Mustang manufactured at Ford’s historic Dearborn Assembly Plant in May 2004.
That final Dearborn-built Mustang represents the end of an era. Mustang production had called Dearborn home since the model’s introduction in 1964 before moving to Flat Rock, Michigan.
It’s one thing to read about those milestones. It’s another to stand in front of the actual vehicles that represent them.
Meet Johnny Cash: The First 2015 Shelby GT350 Prototype
Of all the Mustangs inside The Ford Vault, one of the most fascinating was a 2005 Mustang GT development vehicle known as Johnny Cash.
At first glance, it looks like an early S197 Mustang wearing familiar Shelby-era pieces. But according to Ford’s Heritage Fleet team, this was actually the first prototype for the 2015 Shelby GT350.
Ford engineers nicknamed the car Johnny Cash because, much like the song, it came together “one piece at a time.” Rather than building an entirely new vehicle from scratch, the team assembled a working prototype from parts sourced largely from other test cars.
Under the hood was an experimental 4.6-liter flat-plane-crank V8 that Ford says had spent years in storage before being installed in this Mustang. That makes the car a particularly interesting early chapter in the development story that eventually led to the production GT350 and its 5.2-liter Voodoo V8.
The rest of the combination was just as unusual. Ford fitted an independent rear suspension modified from the 2003 SVT Cobra, giving engineers a way to evaluate the handling characteristics they wanted from the future GT350.
The transmission and driveshaft came from a 2013 Shelby GT500. According to Ford, nearly every component installed on the car was repurposed from another test vehicle; the headers, alternator and battery were the exceptions.
Put all of that together, and you have a 2005 Mustang GT test car combining a flat-plane-crank V8, Cobra-derived IRS and GT500 drivetrain parts years before the 2015 GT350 reached production.
It’s exactly the kind of engineering combination enthusiasts rarely get to see. Development cars aren’t built to win beauty contests; they’re built to answer questions, test ideas and prove what might work on the next performance Mustang.
Seeing Johnny Cash in person was one of the highlights of the tour. The mix of components tells a story about how Ford’s performance engineers experimented with the next generation of Mustang.
And now that Ford has preserved it, enthusiasts can see where an important piece of the GT350’s story began.
Ford’s Le Mans Legacy, Preserved Under One Roof
While the Mustangs were naturally a major highlight for us, the Ford GT and GT40 collection was equally impressive.
Few moments in Ford’s racing history carry the significance of the company’s victory at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.
After years of development and an intense effort to challenge Ferrari, Ford accomplished its goal in spectacular fashion, sweeping the first three overall finishing positions with the GT40 Mk II.
The winning No. 2 GT40, driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, led Ford’s historic 1-2-3 finish.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to get close to GT40 machinery representing that legendary era of endurance racing.
For anyone who follows Ford’s motorsports history, the significance of these cars is difficult to overstate.
The GT40 program didn’t just deliver a victory. It helped establish a racing legacy that Ford would continue building on for decades.
That legacy eventually came full circle in 2016, when Ford returned to Le Mans with its second-generation Ford GT racing program.
Fifty years after the original victory, the No. 68 Ford GT, driven by Joey Hand, Dirk Müller, and Sébastien Bourdais, captured the LM GTE Pro class victory.
The modern Ford GT program is represented within Ford’s heritage collection, alongside vehicles that illustrate the development of the road-going supercar.
We also encountered early Ford GT prototypes and development vehicles, offering a look at the engineering work that helped bring the second-generation supercar to life.
The Original Ford GT Prototypes Reunited
More than two decades after helping introduce the rebirth of one of Ford’s most iconic performance cars, three original Ford GT prototypes have finally been reunited.
During our tour of Ford’s new Heritage Vault, we came across Job 1, Job 2, and Job 3, the three original Ford GT prototypes unveiled during Ford’s centennial celebration in 2003.
Each car wore a distinct color combination. Job 1 was finished in Centennial White with blue stripes, Job 2 in Mark IV Red with white stripes, and Job 3 in Midnight Blue Metallic with white stripes.
But Job 3 has an interesting history of its own.
Ford later repainted the car in the colors of the 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition to help introduce the special-edition package. It has since been returned to its original Midnight Blue Metallic appearance, restoring the trio to the same color combinations they wore more than 20 years ago.
According to Ford’s Heritage Fleet team, the three prototypes had not been publicly displayed together since Ford’s 100th anniversary celebration in June 2003 — more than 23 years ago.
Now, all three are back under one roof in Romulus, Michigan, offering a rare look at the vehicles that helped launch Ford’s modern supercar era.
It’s another reminder that the Ford Vault isn’t simply preserving finished production vehicles. It’s also protecting the prototypes and development cars that helped shape some of the most significant vehicles in Ford’s history.
For enthusiasts, these prototypes are particularly interesting because they provide a glimpse into what Ford was experimenting with before the final production design was established.
It’s a reminder that even some of Ford’s most celebrated production vehicles began as ideas, test platforms, and engineering experiments.
From Cobras to Mustang GTD: Decades of Ford Performance
One of the more interesting aspects of the collection is how it connects Ford’s performance history across generations.
The early SVT Mustang Cobra models and Cobra Rs represent a time when Ford was beginning to push the production Mustang toward a more serious performance identity.
Fast-forward several decades, and that same performance philosophy has evolved into vehicles like the Mustang GTD.
With its supercharged 5.2-liter V8, advanced aerodynamics, and sophisticated suspension technology, the GTD represents a very different approach to Mustang performance than the Fox-body Cobra R.
Yet seeing them within the same collection reveals a connection.
Each represents Ford’s effort to push the Mustang beyond what enthusiasts might expect from a traditional production pony car.
The collection also includes modern Mustang GT350s, Ford GTs, and newer performance models such as the Dark Horse SC.
For Mustang enthusiasts, the opportunity to see these generations together helps put the evolution of Ford Performance into perspective.
The Prototypes and Concepts That Almost Became Reality
While Ford’s production milestones and racing accomplishments are impressive, some of the most intriguing vehicles inside The Ford Vault are the concepts and prototypes that never reached production.
Among them is the Cougar II, a striking concept from the early 1960s that explored a different direction for Ford’s sports-car design.
There are also experimental Mustang projects, including the Mustang UTE, along with unusual Ford GT development vehicles and numerous other concepts from throughout the company’s history.
One of the more unexpected Mustangs in the collection was the bright orange Mustang Ute, a one-off pickup-style creation that looks like something Ford might have dreamed up for an entirely different market. But its backstory is even more interesting than its appearance. The Mustang Ute was hand-built by apprentices in Ford’s EVB/NMPDC metal and body shops as a real-world training exercise. The project gave those apprentices the opportunity to develop hands-on fabrication and bodywork skills while creating something genuinely unusual from a Mustang. It wasn’t a production pickup proposal; it was a practical learning project that became a fascinating piece of Ford history.
Some of these vehicles look remarkably close to something that could have appeared in a dealership showroom.
Others are dramatically different from anything Ford ultimately produced.
That’s part of what makes them so interesting.
These cars offer a glimpse into the decisions that happened behind closed doors. They show the ideas Ford considered, the engineering solutions it tested, and the designs that influenced future products.
Not every experiment becomes a production vehicle, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t important.
In some cases, those forgotten prototypes may tell us more about Ford’s development process than the finished vehicles themselves.
More Than Mustangs: A Look at Ford’s Broader History
Although Mustang and Ford Performance vehicles naturally caught most of our attention, The Ford Vault reaches well beyond the pony car.
A 1992 Michigan State Police Fox-body Mustang represents the era when Ford’s 5.0-liter Mustang became a familiar sight in law enforcement.
The collection also includes a Bronco associated with James Garner’s off-road racing history, a Formula One car wearing HSBC branding, and several trucks and concept vehicles that illustrate Ford’s involvement in other areas of motorsports and vehicle development.
There are even unusual Super Duty concepts and experimental vehicles that most people would never expect to find inside Ford’s historical collection.
It’s an incredibly diverse group of machines.
And while not every vehicle will appeal to every enthusiast, each has a place in Ford’s larger story.
Preserving the Cars That Helped Build Ford’s Legacy
Perhaps the most important takeaway from our visit wasn’t any single vehicle.
It was understanding why Ford has made an effort to preserve them.
Historically, many automotive manufacturers destroyed prototypes and development vehicles once their intended purpose was complete. Some were crushed, others dismantled, and many simply disappeared.
Ford was no exception.
But over the years, employees and engineering teams recognized the significance of certain vehicles and found ways to preserve them.
Those efforts eventually helped create the foundation of today’s Heritage Fleet.
The collection also serves a purpose beyond simply displaying the past.
Ford has explained that its heritage vehicles can be used by designers, engineers, product development teams, and other groups looking to understand the company’s history and draw inspiration for future vehicles.
That makes the collection more than a museum.
It’s a working historical resource.
And walking through the new facility in Romulus, it’s clear that Ford is putting thought into how that history is presented and protected.
From the blue-striped roadway running through the building to the careful arrangement of significant vehicles, the collection feels like something intended to last.
Why The Ford Vault Matters to Mustang Enthusiasts
For more than six decades, the Mustang has been one of Ford’s most recognizable and influential vehicles.
But the Mustang’s story isn’t limited to the cars that rolled off assembly lines.
It’s also the story of the engineers who experimented with new powertrains, the designers who imagined different body styles, the racing teams that pushed the platform to its limits, and the employees who believed certain vehicles were too important to disappear.
The Ford Vault brings many of those stories together in one place.
During our visit, we saw everything from rare Fox-body performance Mustangs and early S197 development vehicles to modern Ford GTs and some of the most significant race cars in Ford’s history.
One of those cars was the 1998 Stewart SF02 Formula 1 racer, powered by a 3.0-liter Ford Zetec-R V10. According to Ford’s Heritage staff, the engine produced an incredible 735 horsepower at 18,000 RPM. The SF02 was driven during the 1998 season by Rubens Barrichello, Jan Magnussen and Jos Verstappen. There’s also a fascinating connection to today’s Formula 1 grid: Stewart Grand Prix later became Jaguar Racing, which Ford eventually sold to Red Bull, creating the team now known as Red Bull Racing. Seeing that piece of Ford’s international racing history preserved alongside its Mustangs and GTs was a reminder of just how far the company’s motorsports legacy reaches.
And while the facility isn’t a traditional public museum, the effort being made to preserve these vehicles is something Ford enthusiasts can appreciate.
After all, once a prototype or historically significant vehicle is destroyed, there’s no bringing it back.
Ford’s new Heritage Fleet facility is helping ensure that more of those stories survive for future generations.
For us, the opportunity to see these vehicles firsthand was a reminder that automotive history isn’t just about horsepower figures, production numbers, or racing victories.
It’s about the people, ideas, and machines that made those achievements possible.
And inside The Ford Vault, there’s no shortage of those stories waiting to be told.
MustangMagazine was invited by Ford Motor Company to tour The Ford Vault in Romulus, Michigan. Special thanks to Ted Ryan (Archives & Heritage Brand Manager), Nick Terzes (Ford Racing Heritage Business Manager), Gordon Platto (Design Director, Design Excellence), and the Ford team for the opportunity to experience the collection firsthand.
Photography: MustangMagazine.
