HERO-ERA 1 Mustang
THE PROJECT
The world’s premier historic rally events company, HERO-ERA, commissioned Prodrive to transform a rusting 1967 Mustang Fastback, into a state-of-the-art desert rally machine to take on major historic endurance events like the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge.
Launched at the Bicester Heritage Flywheel event in 2023, the 400 bhp V8 long-range rally challenger is the result of a meticulous fifteen month ground-up restoration programme requirng more than 2,000 man hours.
CHASSIS REPAIR
The first task was for rusting chassis to be rejigged, bead blasted and strengthened to withstand the anticipated stresses. The suspension and struts were carefully crafted to cope with desert, mountain, and forest track terrain.
ENGINE REBUILD
The 5.4 litre 400 bhp Dart Ford 302 V8 engine was tuned specifically to run for long periods at high revs with a Tremec TKX five-speed (with overdrive) gearbox mated to a robust rear axle with a 9” limited slip differential to transfer all the power to the rear wheels.
OUR EXPERTISE
Prodrive’s Dakar Rally experience helped in producing full under-body protection. A 70-gallon 400-mile long-range fuel tank was required to help cover the great distances between refuelling points.
PROJECT QUOTES
Tomas de Vargas Machuca, Chairman of HERO-ERA:
I am blown away by the car, I am so happy with the result. Prodrive’s enthusiasm, experience and skill have transformed a ‘basket case’ into a historic motoring masterpiece, ready to take on the best in the desert and be the flagship vehicle on our Arrive Drive fleet.
David Richards, Prodrive Chairman:
The Ford Mustang was a significant departure from our usual projects, but we have utilised all our rally experience and the result is testament to everyone who worked on the car at Prodrive.
Richard Thompson, Senior Engineer and Prodrive Legends General Manager:
When we got the chance to prepare a rally car for HERO-ERA with the target of winning classic events like the Paris to Peking, we leapt at it! Although it is a bit of a departure for us, we loved reviewing the specs of cars already competing, immersing ourselves in the varied challenges the crews and cars undergo, and applying our know-how.
We loved every minute of getting into the DNA of a mid-60’s US muscle car – from the detail build to hearing the beautiful rumble of the 302 Windsor V8 on our engine dyno.
The peking to paris motor challenge
After its launch the HERO-ERA 1 first took on and completed the 2023 Badawi Trial, a 7500 km 16-day trek through Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE.
Then, in 2024, the HERO-ERA 1 completed the event it was built for, the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge. In the hands of Katarina Kyvalova and Jon Minshaw the Prodrive specified and built desert challenger completed what is considered by most to be the toughest endurance rally for vintage and classic cars in the world.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
Book A Build Slot
Any Distance. Any Temperature. Any Terrain. This car has been designed to tackle the toughest historic rallies in the world. Get in touch to secure one of the limited build slots are available.