The Mustang in itself is a special enough car for its fans and followers. But even better than a normal Mustang, is a special edition one, because there’s always an extra-special something about it, in terms of power, performance, and Mustang purity on the whole.
The trend may have started from when Carroll Shelby got involved with Ford on the whole, ostensibly to work on the Ford GT40, but once the track fervor died down, Ford and Shelby got together to do more fun stuff with everyday cars, churning out special editions of Mustangs that sold like hotcakes back then and are greatly valued as classics today.
On that note, here go the coolest special edition Mustangs made in the past 20 years, and why their buyers are very lucky one have one. And in case you too want to spruce up your garage with one, these may be a good place to start.
10 2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt GT
A regular Mustang GT is nice but hardly something to get very excited about when it comes to performance. But then came the Bullitt, with even more muscle and hunk, in more than just looks. Immortalized by the movie with the same name, the 2001 Bullitt GT carried a 4.6-liter V8 that made 265 horses and 305 lb-ft of torque.
The exhaust note is cool and sounds more ‘60s than modern, and the design was made more retro as well. It’s a wonderful ‘Stang to own, period.
9 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Again a hark back to the ye ‘old Mustang Mach 1 from 1969, the 2003 model came with a functional shaker hood scoop and basically married the beautiful looks of the classic with everything else modern, safe and convenient. With exclusive colors and wheels, the insides also wore classic touches with stitched seats and an aluminum shifter.
The 4.6-liter V8 made 305 horses and the exhaust was also made louder for more effect, also bearing new cams, cylinder heads, and a crank. Finally, it came with bigger brakes too.
8 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby Cobra GT500
The 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby Cobra GT500 was not just a Shelby in name, but a true blue nod to the first of the lot, this time created by Ford SVT. They made the GT500 the most powerful ‘Stang anyone had seen to date, with a 5.4-liter DOHC 32-valve V8 jetting 475 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque.
That’s several steps above the 1967-70 Shelby GT500, and obviously, the 2007 model came with all the modern bells and whistles that safety and tech demanded. The best of both worlds, in looks and performance.
7 2008 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500KR
Taking it one step above, Ford launched the Shelby Mustang GT500 KR in 2008, with KR standing for King of the Road, and no, that was not an overreach. This special edition Mustang came bearing more than 100 carbon fiber pieces and a beefier suspension with less traction control.
The same supercharged 5.4-liter V8 engine was coaxed to jet out even more and made 540 horsepower and 510 ft-lb torque, and only 1,000 of these stunning ‘Stangs were made, with each having Shelby’s signature on a dashboard plate.
6 2009½ Iacocca Silver Edition Ford Mustang
Lee Iacocca is known for many things, and cars, including the Ford Pinto but the one car his name is irrevocably intertwined with, is the Mustang. To celebrate 45 years of this very successful nameplate, Ford brought out the 2009½ Iacocca Silver Edition Mustang and only 45 of these were made.
It came with custom bodywork, special wheels, and of course, was a gorgeous silver, jetting some 400 horses. Starting price was also a shocker, at $89,950 but the rarity of the car justified the price tag for the buyers.
5 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca
This Mustang is named after the Laguna Seca, as in the racetrack, so obviously, there has to be serious commitment behind this special edition, meant for race tracks. The 5.0-liter V8 was kept unfiltered but Ford added in race-worthy suspension, aerodynamic body parts, sticky tires, and way more honed engine management, for an output of 444 horses.
The weight was also reduced and the results showed it: this special edition ran the Monterey race track in 1:41.06, faster than even a BMW!
4 2015 Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition
50 years of the Mustang is a big thing, especially as this nameplate never took a breather and has carried on doing the good work since its inception in 1964½. To commemorate this big date, in 2014, Ford unveiled this special edition 50th Anniversary Edition at the New York Auto Show, and of course, only 1,964 of these cars were made. Considering they could not make 1964½.
The 5.0-liter V8 made a respectable 400 horses, and 435 lb-ft of torque, and it was only available in two colors: Wimbledon White or Kona Blue with styling cues taken from the early Mustangs.
3 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt
Considering Ford already brought out a special edition to mark the 50th anniversary of the Mustang, what next? How about the 50th anniversary of the Steve McQueen-made Bullitt? And so the 2019 Mustang Bullitt was launched, with a 5.0-liter V8 that jets 475 horses and 420 lb-ft of torque – for a top speed of 163 mph.
The launch was no less dramatic with Molly McQueen, Steve’s granddaughter, starring in a short film, racing a Dodge Charger in a parking lot for the only free space… Ford sure loves its little dramas.
2 2019 Old Crow Ford Mustang GT
This Mustang was made to remember and show respect to WWII triple ace pilot Colonel Bud Anderson, and it was painted to match the P-51 Mustang fighter planes that Anderson and many unsung heroes like him flew to complete more than 100 missions.
At heart, the Old Crow is a Mustang GT, but with the help of a Roush supercharger, this Mustang could literally take to the skies, with its 5.0-liter V8 making 710 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque. Do note that big, big wing.
1 2020 Roush Performance Jack Roush Edition Ford Mustang
In 2020, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 began to jet 760 horsepower. But if that is not insane enough for you, there’s a Jack Roush Edition of the same, and it's one of the most powerful ‘Stangs out there, with its 5.2-liter V8 making 775 horses and 670 lb-ft of torque, enabled by a Roush supercharger, of course.
There are special brakes and an amped-up suspension to handle all that firepower, along with plenty of aerodynamic accents. And it could be yours for $112,000, tops. Who said being special came cheap?
Sources: MotorAuthority, AutomobileMag