When it comes to classic muscle cars, few are as revered as the Ford Mustang Boss 429. The Boss 429 is one of the rarest Mustangs that Ford ever made, producing it in limited numbers for just the 1969 and 1970 model years. The Boss 429 Mustang featured a powerful racing engine, making it one of the most powerful cars of its time. Collectors today would happily give an arm and a leg for this classic car, and rightly so.
In fact, not many know that the Ford Mustang Boss 429 muscle car had gotten off to a very rocky start, and yet today, it is an automotive legend. Sometimes, even the biggest icons come from unceremonious backgrounds, and the Boss Mustang 429 is one such example. The story of how the Ford Mustang Boss 429 came to the roads is an interesting one, and here are 10 facts about the car that everyone forgot.
10 Ford Only Ever Made 1,359 Mustang Boss 429s
The production line only saw a meager 1,359 Ford Mustang Boss 429s, which makes it one of the rarest, most exceptionally uncommon collector’s cars. Limited to just 1969 and 1970, the Ford Mustang Boss 429 remains an exclusive edition.
The rarity factor has given rise to demand, resulting in the Boss 429 being regarded as one of the most precious Mustangs ever produced. According to Hagerty, a Boss 429 in mint condition can fetch over $500,000.
9 The Boss Mustang 429 Was Originally Meant To Race In NASCAR
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Ford originally built the mighty 429 because they wanted to race in NASCAR. However, in order to be eligible by NASCAR’s homologation rules, they had to build at least 500 road-legal units of this engine, and sell them to customers.
As such, Ford decided to fit the 429 engine in the Mustang and got sales started. Interestingly, many believe that if Ford had gone ahead with their NASCAR plans, it would have been the Torino that raced instead of the Mustang.
8 The Dodge Charger Daytona Foiled Ford's Plans To Race The Boss 429 Mustang
Even though Ford was gearing up to put the 429 engine to NASCAR racing, the arrival of the Dodge Charger Daytona changed everything for the brand. The success of the Daytona in NASCAR, particularly its aerodynamic design, led to Ford rethinking and developing their cars with enhanced aerodynamics to remain competitive.
As such, Ford decided to forget their racing plans for the 429, and instead put those engines into the Mustang, thus making a golden, iconic muscle car.
7 Kar Kraft Engineering Helped Ford Fit The Boss 429 Engine In The Mustang
When creating the Boss 429 engine, Ford had to call in reinforcements from Kar Kraft Engineering. The engineers at Kar Kraft aided Ford in modifying the Mustang’s chassis so that the big 429 engine could fit into it.
To deal with the added weight of the Boss 429 engine, they relocated the suspension arms, swapping out the springs for stiffer options. Interestingly, the man behind Kar Kraft Engineering was the legendary Ed Hull, the designer for the iconic Ford GT40.
6 The Formidable Boss 429 Engine From The Mustang Was A Lot More Powerful Than It Let On
Looking at the spec sheet of the Ford Mustang Boss 429 today, one might think it was decently powerful, but nothing to write home about today. However, the reported 375 hp from the 429 V8, along with 450 lb-ft of torque, was rumored to have been doctored down to avoid higher insurance costs for customers.
In fact, with just some very simple modification, the Boss 429 engine in the 1969–70 Mustangs could easily reach 600 horsepower. Unrestricted, the Ford Mustang Boss 429 could go all the way up to 175 horsepower, holding steady at 9,000 rpm.
5 The Engine Of The Ford Mustang Boss 429 Was Nicknamed The 'Shotgun'
The massive 429 cubic-inch Boss engine even earned a nickname for itself. It was called the 'Shotgun' due to its massive exhaust ports in the aluminum heads, which had no head gasket but instead used O-rings to connect each passage to the engine block.
There were NASCAR-spec connecting rods in some early motors, further cementing the racing-inspired design of the Boss 429.
4 Contrary To Popular Belief, John Wick Did Not Drive A Ford Mustang Boss 429
John Wick is one of the most popular action movie franchises of the 21st century, and not without reason. The first movie started with protagonist John Wick’s Ford Mustang being stolen (among other travesties). John, in a conversation with one of the antagonists in the first movie, agrees when they recognize his car as a Ford Mustang Boss 429 from 1969.
However, even though Wick tells the man it’s a 1969 model rather than a 1970 one, he doesn’t mention that his car isn’t a Boss 429, but rather a Mustang Mach 1. Eagle-eyed gearheads would recognize how the hood scoop on Wick’s Mach 1 was different from the one that was on the Boss 429.
3 Ford Even Gifted Two 429 Engines To Mercury For The Cougar
Very few people know about the existence of an ultra-rare Mercury Cougar Boss 429. Ford gifted Mercury two Boss 429 engines, and they were put into highly-modified Cougars. Built on the same platform and sharing several parts with the Mustang, the Cougars housed the 429 engine without too much of a hassle.
Even though these Cougars never raced, they did make the occasional appearance for a quarter-mile run. Mostly, however, they were relegated to the position of showpieces in Mercury dealerships across the country, with the purpose of bringing in more customers.
2 At The Time, The 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Was The Most Expensive Mustang Ever
Thanks to its modified chassis and exceptionally powerful Boss 429 engine, the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 was the most expensive Mustang ever to come off the Ford assembly line at the time.
The Boss 429 cost almost $5,000, which is equivalent to about $41,000 today. Such a high price tag made the Boss 429 Mustang out of reach for many car buyers at the time. Furthermore, its limited numbers made it easy for Ford to sell the car, as it came with the allure of rarity.
1 Ford Never Offered An Automatic Transmission With The 1969-70 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Ford intended the Boss 429 Mustang to be a true driver’s car, and it is clearly visible in how the brand didn’t fit even a single unit with an automatic transmission. Every one of the 1,359 units of the Ford Mustang Boss 429 came with a four-speed manual transmission.
In fact, that is also a clear giveaway vis-à-vis John Wick’s car not being the Boss 429. When he does get his car back, John’s hand is clearly shown operating an automatic transmission, which was simply never present on the Boss Mustang 429.
Sources: Hagerty, Ford4