Few , if any , car have as a loyal a sports fan base as the Ford Mustang . Many automotive experts liken the fan of Mustangs to a furor because of their ungoverned Passion of Christ for the muscle car . Each new version of the Mustang sends fan of the car into overdrive ; scoping out the spec , canvass the military capability of the railway locomotive , and fret over novel feature . Of naturally , the only thing Mustang fans love more than a new version of the motorcar are the vintage Mustangs from the 1960s and 70 . interminable argumentation furor about which is the best Mustang of all time . Is it the King Cobra ? The Boss 429 ? The Mach 1 ? We here at Goliath , of course , have our own ruling and offer the undermentioned listing of the 10 serious Mustangs of all time .
10. 2008 Mustang Bullitt
The 2008 Mustang unleashed by Ford was meant as a protection to the classical 1968 movieBullitton its 40th anniversary . In the picture , actor Steve McQueen drives a Ford Mustang GT Fastback in what is arguably the in effect car chase in cinematic history . Ford sought to honor the movie and its legacy in 2008 by issuing a signature Mustang , complete with the same dark greenish pigment and black wheels as the one sport in the movie . The accelerator pedal covering on the 2008 Mustang is even inscribe with the word “ Bullitt ” on it . The retro styling of the 2008 edition , as well as a brawny V8 locomotive engine and outsized wheels make this railroad car a unfeigned collector ’s item and a worthy variant to the Mustang canyon . Steve McQueen himself would have been proud to get behind the steering wheel of this car .
9. 1984 Mustang SVO
The 1980s were not a great decade for the Mustang — or the Ford Motor Company for that issue . Many of the Mustangs create in the 80s lacked the expressive style and appealingness of the classic 60 and 70 models . Critics went so far as to claim that Ford had stop making Mustangs that looked like Mustangs and we would agree with that program line . However , one Mustang deserving mentioning from the decennary that gave us Pac - Man is the 1984 Mustang SVO . avowedly , this is not the coolest looking Mustang on this list , but it is worth cite because of its modern engine , notably the forced induction system of rules . The light engine in the SVO provide better handling and a higher-ranking powertrain . The 84 SVO was also the first time a Mustang was built under Ford ’s novel “ Special Vehicle Operations ” building block , an initiative go in 1981 to project and develop carrying out parts and accessories for the company ’s racing division . The constrained trigger system pave the way for a turbocharged EcoBoost four - cylinder engine in next Mustangs , and purely for its invention , the 1984 Mustang SVO ready the list .
8. 2000 Cobra R
Mustangs built since the Millennium have been criticized for being flaccid around the corners and lack the muscular aspect of vintage Mustangs from the yesteryear . This unfavorable judgment could for certain be leveled at the 2000 Cobra R Mustang that Ford used to usher in the fresh millennium . However , the flaccid exterior of the Cobra R masks a bounteous , powerful engine underneath the hoodlum — an engine that produce major major power , torsion , and is force back by superscript racing technology . Unsurprisingly , the Cobra R Mustang has become a favorite vehicle of street race car and is even featured in the Fast & Furious films . Add in a super high pillager and aggressive dead body kit , and you ’ve got the makings for a true lusus naturae racer . Other cool characteristic of the Cobra radius include no rear seats , peculiar stupor and springs , Recaro race seats , and clamp down brakes . Do n’t let multitude tell you this car is “ diffuse ” because it ’s really a creature and a dependable racing car .
7. 1968 California Special
The California Special is a Mustang for diehard collectors . In 1968 , auto monger in the Golden State convinced the Ford Motor Company to create a extra version of the Mustang specifically for their sun - sop state . call the GT California Special , the car borrowed heavily from element of the early Shelby Mustangs . The California Special see sportsmanlike and drove faster than late Mustangs . Many reviewers refer to the California Special as a crossbreed between a veritable Mustang and a Shelby . Today , the California Special Mustang is in high need as so few of these automobile were produced . They are extremely seek after by collectors and deal at auction for in excess of $ 500,000 . In 2007 , Ford began selling the GT California Special as an exterior upgrade package on the Mustangs it produced . Since then , many dissimilar iterations of the California Special have been offered , but it is the original 1968 edition that every Mustang lover wants to get their hands on .
6. 1978 King Cobra
The 1978 Mustang King Cobra is a machine that many people find typify the 1970s . People who prefer this model of Mustang like everything about the machine – from the then - innovative hood decal to the alloy - spoked bike and dash inserts . Available only in a T - top , and with a V8 locomotive engine under the goon , this car has style and power in equal cadence . Some people knock this interlingual rendition of the Mustang for being ground on the much maligned “ Mustang II ” that came out in 1976 , but the King Cobra dramatically better on that model and more . People roll in the hay the open deoxythymidine monophosphate - top and claim it allow a definitive seventy look . The King Cobra remains one of the top selling Mustangs of all fourth dimension , and a favourite of Mustang purist everywhere .
5. 1964 Mustang 289
This is the original Mustang , and the elevator car that started the craze back in 1964 . The convertible version of the 1964 Mustang 289 was an contiguous hit with the public and aid inspire the self-propelled industriousness in the mid-1960s . the great unwashed everywhere loved the 289 ’s V8 engine , and the style of the car perfectly captured the spirit of the open route and American independency . When engine driver at Ford denote plans to put a powerful V8 engine into the relatively pocket-size body of a pony car , people remember they were nuts , but there is no denying the result . The 1964 Mustang 289 was fast , spry , and aphrodisiacal ; in other words , it was everything the great unwashed love about cars . This original Mustang kicked off the pony railroad car craze that continues to this day , and it give the Ford Motor Company a signature car unlike any other on the market .
4. 1971 Mustang Mach 1
The 1971 Mustang Mach 1 is the car featured in the original 1974 movieGone In 60 Secondsand is a classic Mustang that is highly coveted by collectors worldwide . The Mach 1 offers a hefty V8 locomotive engine and a four - upper manual transmission that makes this car super fun to drive . see a more luxurious exemplar of Mustang when it debut in 1971 , the Mach 1 quickly produce a rabid lover Qaeda and the furore surrounding this railroad car has only raise with time . This two room access car is sleek and powerful looking at the same clock time , and blow superior controls and handling . The perfect automobile to peel off out on or , as was the sheath inGone In 60 Seconds , range from the constabulary in . The Mach 1 truly encompasses the classic look and feel of the Ford Mustang .
3. Ford Shelby Mustang GT 500
In 1967 , Ford and Shelby decided to add another Mustang variant alongside the company ’s Trans - Am quick GT 350 . Called the GT 500 , the new Shelby Mustang boast a 428 - cubic in V8 locomotive and multiple upgrades to the outside , as well as a few mechanical enhancement . This has made the Ford Shelby Mustang GT 500 one of the most pop cars in self-propelling history . If the GT 500 was not sinewy enough for multitude , there was also the Shelby Mustang GT 500 “ King of the Road ” version that came with a higher performance 428 Cobra Jet V8 engine under the exhaust hood . In 2007 , Ford revived the Shelby GT 500 trim spirit level by swing a 500 HP , 5.4 - liter supercharged V8 engine into the Mustang modeling for that year , and in 2013 , an all - unexampled Shelby Mustang GT 500 was introduced , this clip with a 662 HP , 5.8 - litre supercharged V8 engine . For multitude who like power in their Mustang , it is punishing to beat the GT 500 model – today or back in 1967 .
2. 1969 Boss 429
In 1969 , Ford introduce the Boss edition of the Mustang . Ford actually fabricate two cars under the Boss moniker – the 302 and 429 version . For our money , the Boss 429 is the superior car . As the name evoke , the locomotive shoehorned into this 1969 Mustang was a 429 - three-dimensional inch big engine block V8 capable of produce 375 H.P. and torque to spare . The Boss 302 , which came out at the same time , was equipped with a modest engine and the exterior removed any unneeded torso cladding and tote up a front lip pamperer . While some people initially opt the Boss 302 , history has pushed the 429 to the top of the jalopy . Today , the Mustang Boss 429 is prized by self-propelling collectors and historians . Many people view this auto to be the ultimate Mustang , praising its style , power , and performance , but there ’s one other model that arguably outpace it …
1 . 1965 Shelby GT 350
And the top loot for best Mustang ever goes to the 1965 Shelby GT 350 , which is widely catch as the very best ‘ Stang ever develop . Manufactured only a yr after the very first Mustang rolled off the gathering line in Detroit , Shelby and Ford combined forces to create a raw , performance - based variation of the car . Using the Mustang ’s 289 - three-dimensional in V8 locomotive , the engineers at Ford and Shelby pick off the power plant to produce a then idea - melting 306 HP . The 1965 Shelby also remove the pesky rearward keister ; a move that , at the sentence , was considered revolutionary .
A GT 350R variant was used for racing and track upshot , and version of the GT 350 would continue to be bring forth until 1970 , but none would be as awesome as the original 1965 model . For 2016 , Ford brought back the GT 350 and GT 350R nameplates . The current model aim to live on up to the legend with 5.2 - liter V8 engines bring on 526 horsepower , but it is the original 1965 Shelby GT 350 that goes down in the history Good Book as the top Mustang to date . It is a legendary car that has adjust itself apart from the competition .
