While the Ford Mustang is an American sports car that diehard enthusiasts revere, the first-ever model was sold to a Canadian. Stanley Tucker, hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland, bought a 1964 model.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Times reports that Gail Wise bought the first Ford Mustang sold in the U.S. Six decades later, Wise still owns the vehicle.
Mustang Is a Cultural Icon
The Ford Mustang has become a cultural icon over the years and decades, making its big-screen debut in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.
Whether you want to buy one or enjoy the brand and want to learn more, here are 15 of the best ones ever.
1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra
The 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra makes the list of best Mustangs of all time. It was a special edition that included two engine options: the 2.8-liter V6, good for 105 horsepower, and the 4.9-liter V8, good for 139 horsepower.
The engines were mated to a 3-speed automatic or 4-speed manual. Unfortunately, the 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra wasn’t the fastest Mustang in the world, with a rather pedestrian 0-60 miles per hour time of 8.5 seconds. And that’s for the one with the V8 under the hood.
2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
The 2003 SVT Cobra, featuring an independent rear suspension, had a 4.6-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 390 hp under the hood. It was notably faster than the first entry on this list, and it could do 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The Mustang, highly regarded for its handling and performance, had a 6-speed manual transmission.
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
The 2020 Shelby GT350 gets high marks from reviewers. Car and Driver calls it a “powerful, high-strung muscle car designed to rock race tracks while still being at home on the street.” Meanwhile, Autoblog says that “the steering is better than it was in the beginning” with “more feel, improved weighting.”
It had a 5.2-liter V8 engine, 526 hp, 429 lb-ft, and a 6-speed manual tranny. Notable exterior features included the iconic Shelby stripes and badging.
1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
The 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R is another worthy addition to this list. It’s a limited-production performance model featuring a 5.0-liter V8 engine, 300 hp, 280 lb-ft of torque, a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds, and a 5-speed manual transmission. Exterior features included Cobra R badging and graphics, a rear spoiler, and a bigger front air intake.
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302
The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 paid tribute to the original Boss Mustangs. Interior features included — among other things — a distinct shifter and instrument cluster. Under the hood was a 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 444 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. The engine was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. With a 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds, the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 was one fast muscle car.
1964 ½ Ford Mustang
The 1964 ½ Ford Mustang was an early-production model released minus “refinements that came later,” says MotorTrend. Credited with kickstarting the pony car segment, its cultural icon cred is solid. The 1964 ½ Ford Mustang offered several engine options — the most powerful of which produced 271 hp. In addition to three transmission options, the 1964 ½ Ford Mustang achieved a 0-60 mph time of 8 to 9 seconds.
2015 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
The 2015 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is the second Shelby GT350 on the list. Its 5.2-liter V8 engine produces 526 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque under the hood. The Mustang accomplishes a blazingly quick 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds. Weighing 3,800 pounds, it features optional Recaro seats, a distinct hood with an air intake, and more.
2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
When a car is nicknamed “Terminator,” it had better be a good one. And fortunately, that’s the case with the 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. It was a high-performance Mustang renowned for its tunability and raw power. Under the hood was a 4.6L DOHC V8 engine and an Eaton M112 supercharger.
Paired with a 6-speed manual tranny, the 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra went from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. It had 390 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. Exterior features included, but weren’t limited to, unique SVT Cobra badging and a rugged front fascia.
1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt
The 1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt is a renowned muscle car in part because it showed up in a Steve McQueen movie called “Bullitt”. While the carmaker didn’t officially debut a special edition 1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt model in 1968, the Ford Mustang driven in the movie was a modified 1968 Mustang GT 390 Fastback.
The vehicle offered three different engines — two V8s and one inline-6. Its 4.7-liter V8 engine produced the most power under the hood with 271 hp. In addition to achieving a 0-60 mph time of 7 to 8 seconds, the Mustang had three different transmission options.
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1
If you like Mustangs with tons of engine options, the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is a model worth putting through its paces. It had five V8 engine possibilities. The most powerful engines had 335 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque. It also had three transmission possibilities — one automatic and two standards. Depending on the engine choice, the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 could go from 0-60 mph in 5.5. to 6.5 seconds.
1984 Ford Mustang SVO
With a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds, the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO wasn’t the fastest Mustang. The “SVO” in the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO stood for “special vehicle operations” since it was a performance-focused vehicle. It was equipped with a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4, producing 175 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. Weighing 3,100 pounds, the muscle car had a top speed of 130 mph.
1987 Mustang Foxbody 5.0
The 1987 Mustang Foxbody 5.0 had a top speed of 150 mph and went from 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The vehicle signified a substantial update to the fifth-generation Mustang. As for the specs, it had a 5.0-liter V8 producing 225 hp at 4,200 rpm and 300 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. Transmission options included a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic.
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
If you believe nothing beats a boss, check out the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. With its 7.0-liter V8 engine producing 375 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 had a top speed of 130 mph. It had a 4-speed manual transmission and a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds.
2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra (Mystichrome)
The 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra (Mystichrome) was a limited-run muscle car featuring, among other things, color-changing paint. The paint changed between shades of black, blue, green, and purple based on the lighting situation. It featured a 4.6-liter DOHC supercharged V8 producing 390 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. It also had a 6-speed manual tranny, 4.5 second 0-60 mph time, and a top speed of 155 mph.
1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra Jet
1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra Jet was a powerful muscle car owing to the 7.0-liter Cobra Jet V8 under the hood. It had 335 hp, 440 lb-ft of torque, a Holley 4-barrel carburetor, and a 4-speed manual transmission. In addition to its 0-60 mph time of 6 seconds, the 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra Jet had a top speed of 125 to 135 mph.
Did Your Fave Make the List?
While this isn’t a definitive list — with so many great Mustangs out there — it shows some of the most popular Mustangs of all time. Any such list is, however, subjective. So, list your faves in the comment section.
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