Arguably no car owes as much to its heritage as the Ford Mustang. Here we are, more than 50 years after launch, and still the current car harks back to the original in terms of its design, layout and ethos. Heck, even some of the model names are the same.
Yet while the Mustang does a very good job of combining modern sensibilities with traditional pony car charm, it clearly won't do it quite as well as an original. Trouble is, those cars are expensive, and how regularly are you going to use a car now in its sixth decade? One that, let's be honest, did have some flaws when new...
Classic Recreations in the States has a solution. With official licence from Ford Motor Company, CR is to build upgraded, turnkey versions of the Boss 429 Mustangs from 1969-70, plus the Boss 302 and Mach 1 from the same period.
Here's where it gets clever. While you can have these cars built from an original 69-70 body, Classic Recreations can begin from scratch with a brand new and official body from Ford. Imagine somebody like Singer getting box fresh 964 bodies from Porsche, or Mercedes doing the same thing for Brabus with Pagoda SLs - it really is quite incredible.
In addition, while familiar Ford crate Ecoboost and the Coyote V8 are offered, Classic Recreations are offering the 429 with a modernised version of the 7.0-litre V8 with electronic fuel injection and 670hp. The Mach 1 and 302 use the Coyote engine with a Tremec manual and 350hp. Power steering is now standard, as are Wilwood brakes and air-con, with sat-nav, a leather interior and even right-hand drive on the options list.
Classic Recreations will show its first car - a Boss 429 built from an original body - at SEMA later this year. Until then its website (including configurator) will have to suffice while you gather together the $170,000 needed for a Boss 302 or a Mach 1, or $200k for a 429. Still, given the way things are going, that sort of money for a reimagined Mustang icon may look entirely reasonable. More news as we have it...
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