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You already know that feeling while you’re cruising down the freeway and a uncommon Mustang pulls up subsequent to you? That little flutter of pleasure? Nicely, multiply that by a couple of thousand, and also you may perceive what it’s like to identify considered one of these ultra-rare ponies within the wild. We’re speaking in regards to the Mustangs that make us daydream whereas watching Barrett-Jackson auctions and trigger visitors jams at automobile meets (and never as a result of they crashed).
The Ford Mustang has been America’s sweetheart since 1964, however like every good love story, it’s the uncommon moments that make the guts race the quickest. Certain, Ford has constructed tens of millions of Mustangs over the many years, however tucked away in that large manufacturing run are some absolute unicorns that had been both constructed for very particular functions, in ridiculously small numbers, or each.
1965 Shelby GT350
Let’s begin with the granddaddy of all of them. In 1965, Carroll Shelby took Ford’s fairly little pony automobile and turned it into a correct observe weapon. The unique GT350 wasn’t only a Mustang with some stripes; it was a full transformation that might make at present’s tuners weep with envy.
Shelby’s crew began with a Mustang fastback and instantly started working. Out went the rear seats (you possibly can’t have a real racing automobile with these); in went a correct roll bar. The 289 cubic-inch Hello-Po V8 bought bumped as much as 306 horsepower; in 1965, that was severe enterprise. The suspension was lowered and stiffened, and people iconic aspect exhausts weren’t only for present; they really helped the engine breathe extra effectively.
Right here’s a enjoyable reality: Shelby claimed he selected the “GT350” title as a result of it was roughly 350 ft from his store to the constructing the place Mustangs had been modified. Whether or not that’s true or simply good advertising folklore, it’s an excellent story that fanatics like to repeat. If Carroll Shelby stated one thing a couple of automobile, it will increase its legendary standing (and worth).
Solely 562 GT350s had been in-built 1965, and discovering one at present is akin to discovering a successful lottery ticket in your outdated denims. They sometimes promote for nicely into six figures, and pristine examples can attain seven figures. Why? As a result of this was the primary Mustang that would genuinely maintain its personal towards Corvettes and European sports activities automobiles on a street course.
1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 KR King of the Street
If the GT350 was Shelby’s wake-up name to the efficiency world, the 1968 GT500 KR was him standing on a desk and shouting. The “KR” stood for “King of the Street,” which sounds a bit presumptuous till you notice they backed it up with Ford’s new Cobra Jet 428 engine.
Ford formally rated the Cobra Jet at 335 hp, however that was about as truthful as a politician’s marketing campaign promise. The precise quantity was nearer to 400 horses, however insurance coverage corporations and wives had been already rising suspicious about muscle automobiles, so Ford performed it conservatively on paper. In actuality, the KR may run the quarter-mile within the excessive 13s proper off the showroom ground; not dangerous for a automobile you would additionally drive to work on Monday morning.
The styling was pure late-60s aggression: useful hood scoops, aspect exhausts that would roast marshmallows, and sufficient chrome and stripes to be seen from orbit. Just one,570 KR fastbacks and convertibles had been produced, making them uncommon sufficient that most individuals go their total lives with out seeing one in individual.
What made the KR particular wasn’t simply the ability: it was the perspective. This was a automobile that introduced itself earlier than it got here across the nook. The exhaust be aware was someplace between a NASCAR stocker and approaching thunder, and the acceleration may pin you to these high-back bucket seats like a NASA launch.
At this time, a very good KR will value you greater than most individuals’s homes, and discovering components is like an archaeological excavation. However for these fortunate sufficient to personal one, there’s nothing fairly like the sensation of being the King of the Street.
1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351
By 1971, the muscle automobile celebration was winding down. New emissions laws had been looming, insurance coverage corporations had been cranking up charges, and gasoline was about to develop into a four-letter phrase. However Ford wasn’t taking place with out a struggle, and the Boss 351 was their last haymaker. It’s one Mustang that some can positively argue was a real muscle automobile. Struggle me!
Constructed on the bigger 1971 Mustang platform, the Boss 351 packed Ford’s Cleveland 351 cubic-inch V8 tuned to provide 330 horsepower. Not like a few of the underrated engines of the period, this quantity was fairly sincere, and the automobile carried out accordingly. With its stable lifters, four-barrel carb, and race-bred cam, the Boss 351 sounded prefer it was completely offended about one thing.
The styling was basic early-70s extra: NASA hood scoops that would double as snow plows, daring stripes, and sufficient black accent items to make Batman jealous. Ford solely constructed 1,806 of them, partly as a result of muscle automobile gross sales had been already in decline and partly as a result of they knew the golden age was coming to an finish.
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Think about shopping for what you consider is a daily outdated Mustang, solely to get this beast of a observe automobile as a substitute.
The Boss 429 exists for one motive: NASCAR homologation guidelines. Ford needed to run their 429 semi-hemi engine in NASCAR, however the guidelines stated they needed to promote a sure quantity to the general public. So Ford did what any affordable firm would do – they constructed 1,359 avenue variations and offered them to unsuspecting prospects.
The issue was, no person actually understood what they had been shopping for. The Boss 429 seemed virtually similar to a daily Mustang, with solely delicate badges and a small hood scoop hinting at what lurked beneath. Ford’s advertising division apparently took a espresso break, as a result of these items sat on seller heaps whereas folks purchased flashier however much less succesful automobiles.
The 429 semi-hemi was a severe piece of labor. With its canted valves and big ports, it was designed to breathe at excessive RPM on superspeedways. In avenue trim, it made a conservative 375 hp, however the engine was able to far more with the precise tuning. The issue was that Ford tuned it for reliability and emissions compliance, not most efficiency.
Every Boss 429 was hand-built by Kar Kraft in Michigan, which explains why they value greater than some homes on the time. The engine bay needed to be widened to accommodate the huge powerplant, and the suspension was strengthened to deal with the burden and energy.
2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
Quick-forward to the brand new millennium, and Ford’s Particular Automobile Group proved they nonetheless knew find out how to construct a correct observe rat. The 2000 Cobra R was all the things the unique Shelby GT350 was: stripped-down, centered, and utterly uncompromising.
Solely 300 had been constructed, and Ford made certain patrons knew precisely what they had been getting this time. No air-con, no radio, no rear seats, and no apologies. What you bought as a substitute was a naturally-aspirated 5.4-liter DOHC V8 making 385 hp, a six-speed guide transmission, and suspension parts that would deal with severe observe obligation.
The wing was useful aerodynamics that really labored at triple-digit speeds – and seemed sick whereas doing it. The entrance splitter helped plant the nostril, and the complete automobile was about 200 kilos lighter than an ordinary Cobra, due to the weight-saving measures.
1964 Ford Mustang Indy Tempo Automobile Version
Each legend wants an origin story, and the Mustang’s begins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1964. When Ford selected the brand-new Mustang to tempo the Indy 500, they created an immediate collectible that most individuals didn’t acknowledge on the time.
The Tempo Automobile editions had been painted Wimbledon White with blue interiors, a coloration mixture that might develop into iconic in Mustang historical past. Solely about 190 had been produced, making them rarer than some unique supercars. These weren’t efficiency monsters – they had been ceremonial autos that represented Ford’s confidence of their new pony automobile.
2020 Shelby GT 500 Code Pink
Simply while you thought the times of actually insane Mustangs had been over, Shelby American dropped the Code Pink bomb. Restricted to simply 30 items worldwide, this isn’t simply uncommon: it’s virtually legendary.
Beginning with the already-brutal 2020 GT500, Shelby’s staff labored their magic on the supercharged 5.2-liter Predator V8. The outcome? Over 1,000 horsepower on pump gasoline, with much more accessible on E85. We’re speaking about energy ranges that might have been pure science fiction when the unique Shelby GT350 was constructed.
However right here’s what’s actually loopy: regardless of making sufficient energy to spin the Earth backwards, the Code Pink continues to be a street-legal automobile with trendy facilities. It has air-con, a sound system, and all the security gear required by legislation. It’s like having a High Gas dragster you could drive to dinner. If I had this factor, I’d drive it principally in all places, even a tax appointment. At the least it’d preserve you sane.
The exclusivity is mind-bending. With solely 30 items constructed worldwide, your probabilities of seeing one are roughly equal to recognizing Bigfoot driving a unicorn. Shelby introduced that solely 10 could be constructed per yr for 3 years, guaranteeing that every one could be handled like automotive art work.
The worth? If you need to ask, you most likely can’t afford it. However for these fortunate sufficient to personal one, they’ve bought a bit of Mustang historical past that represents absolutely the pinnacle of inside combustion efficiency. In an period of accelerating electrification, the Code Pink may be one of many final hurrahs for old-school horsepower.
When the Herd Turns to Legend
These uncommon Mustangs symbolize extra than simply low manufacturing numbers or excessive horsepower figures. They’re time capsules of various eras in automotive historical past, each capturing a second when Ford or Shelby or SVT determined to push boundaries and see what was doable.
From the uncooked, track-focused GT350 to the trendy technological marvel of the Code Pink, every automobile tells a narrative in regards to the individuals who constructed it and the instances they lived in. They remind us that the perfect automobiles aren’t at all times probably the most sensible or snug – typically they’re those that make you grin like an fool each time you flip the important thing.
The Mustang legend continues to evolve, however these uncommon examples will at all times maintain particular locations in automotive historical past. They’re the automobiles that outlined what it means to be a pony automobile, they usually proceed to encourage fanatics and engineers alike.
So the subsequent time you see a daily Mustang GT at a stoplight, keep in mind that it’s a part of a household tree that features a few of the most fascinating and legendary automobiles ever constructed. And who is aware of? Possibly that new Mustang sitting in showrooms at present would be the uncommon collectible of tomorrow. In spite of everything, that’s how legends are born – one particular automobile at a time.
