Even in the parts of the world where the Mustang is not freely available, the Mustang name is well known. This is a nameplate worth its weight in gold. This was the car that started the whole muscle car craze, though there were muscle cars before it, and far more muscular than it even. It could be because of the iconic styling of the car, or because its nameplate came from the equine family, thus making it easy to equate with horsepower and pony cars.

This was also the car that managed to save Ford during tough times, namely the Oil Embargo of the 70s. And this, in its weakest form. Whatever be the case, the Mustang in an indelible nameplate, and associated with a beautiful and powerful car, very much alive even now. It has redefined itself many times and deserves to be considered a boss car. Here are 15 Ford Mustangs that rocked the world.

15 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 & 429

The Boss Ford Mustangs were created as special racing series for TransAm. Of course, 500 Boss Mustangs had to be created for street use for the car to qualify for NASCAR, as were the rules of the time. The 302 and 429 were homologation specials, the numbers standing for the engines, and in 1970 Parnelli Jones drove the Boss to a win, making the Boss Mustang the ultimate boss.

14 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

The 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is when the Mustang started to become a real racing legend. Of course, this would not have been possible without the expertise of Carroll Shelby and his company, Shelby American. With engine and suspension upgrades, this was the Mustang Fastback that was ready to race from the moment it was born.

13 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt

A limited celebratory edition, the 2008 Ford Bullitt Mustang marked the 40th anniversary of the Steve McQueen Bullitt. In the same dark green as the movie, this car also featured some retro styling on the interiors in the form of an aluminum dash and shift knob. Technically a Mustang GT, this one came with superior power and handling as well.

12 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1

The early ‘70s were still a good time for cars, and the Mustang Mach 1 was a prime example of the joy of muscle of that time. The car looked stylish even if it wasn’t all that powerful. Those iconic twin hood scoops, as well as the twin-color hood, made it look pretty attractive. Enough for it to sell in droves.

11 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

A literal ode to the Mustang Boss of the ‘60s, the 2012 Boss Mustang was power-packed. With a 5.0-liter V8, the 2012 Boss Mustang handled beautifully and was as track-oriented as a Mustang can get. How racing friendly? Well, it shamed BMWs in lap times, with speeds that could win it anything it put its mind to. And it looked good while doing it.

10 1964.5 Ford Mustang

We cannot list out the best Ford Mustangs and not talk about the one that started it all. The 1964.5 Mustang was released mid-year 1964, a little later than the Plymouth Barracuda – but overtook all muscle car sales to become number one. The engine options weren’t overboard, but the first Mustang will remain the most phenomenal one.

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9 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R

Shelby may be gone now, but his legacy lives on in the form of the 2016 Shelby Mustang GT350R that produced a whopping 526 horses. And yes, it was fast. At drag-limited top speeds of 180mph, this was truly a world-class car, perhaps even bossier than the Boss Mustangs.

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8 1986 Ford Mustang SVO

Before Ford had SVT, they had the SVO. And while the 1986 Ford Mustang SVO did not have a V8, which may have disappointed buyers, it did manage 200 horses with a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four. For the oil-embargo-terrified ‘80s, these were good ponies for sure. And SVO stood special-vehicles-operations, in case you are wondering.

7 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

There isn’t Mustang GT that isn’t a good car or didn’t sell well. The 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 was called so because it boasted a 5.0-liter quad-cam “coyote” engine, that jetted 412 horses. And this wasn’t one of those high-priced GTs either – so you got amazing performance at an affordable price. But then the Mustang has never been a pricey car, and that adds to its charm.

6 1968 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet

Marry a Mustang with a Cobra Jet engine and you will always get a winner. So the 1968 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet was just that, with a 7.0-liter Cobra Jet V8 that jetted 335 horses. And we are talking the ‘60s people, with muscle car mania at its peak. While these numbers did keep it street legal, it was an absolute track star as well.

5 1987-1992 Ford Mustang 5.0 LX

Okay yes, we did bring one of those Fox-body Mustangs onto this list, a car that most muscle car enthusiasts look down upon. But while it looked sedate, or rather boring, it did carry the same 5.0-liter V8 that the Mustang GT 5.0 carried. So call it a sleeper, but this was not a lightweight when it came to ponies or speed.

4 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

The SVO gave way to SVT, aka the Special Vehicle Team, in 1991. So obviously, with an all-new name, they had to do something all-new as well. The 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra gave 235 horses on the same 5.0-liter V8. And then there was a Cobra R, only 107 of them, with track-upgraded suspensions and lifts.

3 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR

Wondering what the KR stood for? Well, it stood for King of the Road – this was the time when Ford and Shelby were outdoing each Mustang with a better one around the corner. The 7.0-liter Cobra Jet V8 went into the 1968 Mustang Shelby GT500KR, for 335 horses and a 0-60mph dash of 6 seconds.

2 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Before the 1971 Mach 1, there was the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, so made on the sports-roof Mustang. While the 7.0-liter engine did its job well, the awesome aspect of this car was a functional shaker hood. The hood fed cooler air to the engine but also shook while it did so, adding to the whole sporty feel of the car.

1 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

Who doesn’t love a good rear wing? And the nearly park-bench-like dimensioned spoiler the 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R sported was revered. A 5.4-liter V8 jetted 385 horses and shot this car 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds, at top speeds of 170mph. And the side exhausts looked pretty cool as well.

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