Different Looks, Same DNA: Ford Racing Names and Logos Throughout History

Racing is in Ford‘s DNA, and it has been since Henry Ford won his first race in 1901 near Detroit behind the wheel of Sweepstakes. Since then, Ford’s motorsport involvement has carried different names and a number of logos, but the dedication has remained the same. As Ford celebrates 125 years in racing, here is a look back at the identities behind its racing efforts.

From the Drag Team to Total Performance

Before the 1980s, Ford did not have one dedicated racing entity, yet it still had a strong presence in motorsport. In 1962 the Ford Drag Team was formed, bringing Detroit horsepower to the staging lanes. In 1963 the Total Performance program was created, and Ford’s racing efforts in the ’60s were part of it. That year, racing programs also fell under the Special Vehicle Activity name, though this was an internal designation.

When the GT40 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, it was Ford as a whole that earned the victory, not one specific racing division.

The Ford Motorsport Era and the Birth of Ford Racing

In 1981, Ford created an in-house division to manage its motorsport, performance parts and high-performance production car programs. Called Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), it oversaw Ford’s factory-backed racing programs across several series from 1981 until 1993. During those years, Ford’s racing efforts carried the Ford Motorsport logo, which evolved over time but always featured the traditional Blue Oval above the word “motorsport” in block lettering.

In 1993, Ford shifted its strategy for performance programs. SVO’s road-car division became its own entity, the Special Vehicles Team (SVT), while the original SVO team was renamed Ford Racing and focused solely on racing and performance parts. By 2000, Ford was consistently using the name Ford Racing Technology and the Ford Racing logo, with the Blue Oval positioned above the word “racing.”

Ford Performance, Then Back to Ford Racing

In 2014, Ford Racing became part of the new Ford Performance, a division that merged Ford Racing, SVT and Ford TeamRS (the group that managed Ford’s World Rally Championship and European performance car programs) into one entity. This allowed Ford Performance to cover not only racing but also road cars, off-roading and aftermarket parts. Its logo began as the Blue Oval above the words Ford Performance, and later became the words “Ford Performance” in block lettering.

The latest evolution came on September 4, 2025, when Ford Performance became Ford Racing once again. The change signaled a mission to tear down the wall between race teams and the engineering of Ford vehicles driven on and off the road, bringing road car and race car development closer together than ever and creating a direct pipeline from racetrack innovation to road car innovation. Today’s logo is the traditional Ford oval above the word “racing” in one specific color: Ford Racing blue.

Ford’s Racing Identities at a Glance

Year	Name / Milestone
1901	Henry Ford wins his first race with Sweepstakes
1962	Ford Drag Team formed
1963	Total Performance program and Special Vehicle Activity designation
1966	GT40 wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1981–1993	Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) and the Ford Motorsport logo
1993	SVO renamed Ford Racing; SVT becomes its own entity
2014	Ford Racing, SVT and Ford TeamRS merged into Ford Performance
September 4, 2025	Ford Performance becomes Ford Racing again
2026	Ford celebrates 125 years in racing

Over the years, other Ford brands and logos were also affiliated with the company’s performance and racing programs, including Autolite, Motorcraft, Ford Electronics and Special Vehicle Engineering, underlining the importance of motorsport to Ford Motor Company.

Conclusion

After 125 years of competition, Ford’s racing names and logos have changed many times, but the message has stayed the same: racing is part of the brand’s DNA. With Ford Racing back and race and road car development closer than ever, Ford fans in the Gulf can look forward to more track-bred innovation reaching the brand’s future models.

Source: Ford Middle East – by Jamie Myler, senior research archivist at Ford Motor Company.