1964 was a very special year for Ford Motor Company. The company released its very first pony car, the Mustang. The company expected to sell around 100,000 Mustangs the first year, but ended up selling 400,000 units. Needless to say, the pony car was on the right track to become America's favorite sports car.

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The Mustang sure was a mass-produced sports car, however, a lot of its special editions were some of the rarest Mustangs ever made. There are several facts no one knows about the Ford Mustang, such as the fact that the Boss truly is one of a kind, and it might even be the best non-Shelby Mustang.

9 Trans Am Series

The late 1960s and early 1970s were quite thrilling. The domestic automotive industry was flourishing. Chevy and Ford were going toe to toe in order to see who will come up with the best pony car ever made. In order to truly showcase their cars' capabilities, both automakers doubled down on their research and development to improve their vehicles.

In order to participate in professional racing events, car manufacturers must produce street-legal versions of the said cars. Shelby declined the offer after working with Ford for several consecutive years. As a result, Ford decided to work with Larry Shinado, who not only had a hand in creating the Boss 302, but also the Corvette Stingray. The Boss 302 reclaimed its SCCA title from Chevy, and Ford sales kept on going up.

8 '69 Boss 302

1969 was a tremendous year. Dodge released its Charger Daytona and Chevrolet its Camaro ZL1. Needless to say, muscle car manufacturers were going above and beyond to produce cars that win on Sunday, and sell on Monday. Ford was of course not trailing far behind (if it was trailing at all). In 1969, the Boss 302 made its appearance.

The Boss 302 simply is legendary. Easily recognizable thanks to its hockey stick like Boss 302 sticker, the more powerful Mustang was originally created to beat Camaros both on the track and on the street. Out of the 1,628 '69 Boss 302 produced, the first 50 were hand-built.

7 Legendary Engine

Every single legendary car tends to be extremely attractive. Their sleek designs will turn heads and will for sure have somebody asking questions about how, when, and why the car was purchased. However, what truly makes some of these iconic cars absolute legends is hidden under the hood.

The Boss 302 engine is pure awesomeness. The 302 CID (5.0L) V8 is rated at 290hp at 5,800 rpm, with a torque of 290lb-ft at 4,300rpm. The engine is capable of taking the car from 0 to 60 in 6 seconds, which may not seem like much today. For 1969, that was quite impressive to say the least.

6 NASCAR

It is well-known that the pinnacle of American professional racing is NASCAR. Though most people tend not to understand the appeal of watching cars going at incredible speeds on an oval racetrack, NASCAR never failed to attract thousands of spectators. As a result, Ford needed to create a car that could obliterate Chevy and Dodge cars.

Similarly to the Mustang Boss 302, the 429 was created for homologation purposes. The 429 had very similar physical features, but it did take a lot of elbow grease to actually fit the big-block V8 under the hood. The 429 had to compete against the infamous Dodge Charger Daytona, which made 1969 a great year for NASCAR fans.

5 '69 Boss 429

While participating in professional racing is one thing, homologating race cars is another. For Ford to have its Boss 429 race in NASCAR, the company had to produce 500 units. The legendary fastback saw both its design and powerplant modified to become a true street-legal race car.

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1969 Boss 429
Via-Mecum Auctions

The Boss 429 is one of the coolest special edition Ford Mustangs ever made. Unlike the 302, the 429 back fenders were enlarged. Moreover, the car received parts of the Mustang Mach 1 front end to accommodate the big-block V8. The hood scoop is fully functional, which lets any gearhead understand that the 429 means business.

4 Bigger, Better, Faster

Some of the most legendary muscle car engines have transcended through the years. The outstanding Chevy L88 or the well-known Chrysler 426 Ramcharger are some of the greatest engines found on muscle cars. More recently, Ford hit hard with its 5.0L Coyote engine. However, it was not Ford's first try.

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The 429 CID (7.0L) V8 is far from being your typical Ford engine. The powerplant was factory rated at 375hp at 5,200 rpm, though it was said that it could produce well 0ver 475hp. With a torque of 450lb-ft at 3,400 rpm, the 429 engine is quite a powerful engineering marvel.

3 Tribute

There are several tuners out there with packages for Ford vehicles. The two most popular, Roush and Saleen, have been modifying Ford vehicles for over three decades. Given the passion these tuners have for Mustangs, it is quite normal that one of them would pay tribute to the amazing Mustang Boss.

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Back in 2007, Saleen released the Parnelli Jones 302 Limited Edition. Fashioned after the boss 302 driven by Parnelli Jones during the 1970s, this Saleen is an absolute gem. Instead of the 4.6L V8, a 302ci (5.0L) V8 is lodged under the hood. This humongous engine produces 400hp and 390lb-ft of torque. That is 100hp more than the regular 2007 Mustang GT. As only 500 units were produced, this modern-day replica of the Boss 302 is likely to increase in value.

2 Boss 302: Reloaded

In the early 2010s, Ford realized that it was time to give the Mustang a much-needed face lift. On top of re-designing the pony car, Ford decided to give it a much more powerful 5.0L V8 engine, also known as the Coyote. In 2012, Ford brought back the Mustang Boss 302. The car is exactly like the original, just meaner and faster.

This particular Boss 302 is very special. Only one Calypso Coral Boss 302 was ever built. Equipped with a modified 5.0L V8, the Boss 302 develops 444hp at 7,500 rpm. Only 4,016 Mustangs 302 were produced in 2012, thus making the first 302 of the 21st century a very valuable collectible.

1 Special Edition

2012 Boss 302 Laguna Seca
Via: Flckr

Over the years, Ford has released some truly mind-blowing special edition Mustangs. Though most people focus on the GT500, there are tons of obscure limited edition Mustangs that are far more likely to be worth more as time goes by. The Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca edition is one of them.

2012 Boss 302 Laguna Seca
Via- Edmunds

The Boss 302 Laguna Seca is one of those modern Mustangs that will be priceless some day. With only 767 units produced in 2012, the Laguna Seca is likely to be worth far more than the Bullitt in twenty years. Like the regular 2012 Boss 302, the Laguna Seca is equipped with a 5.0L V8 that cranks out 444hp. That is pretty much where the comparison ends as the Laguna Seca is much meaner thanks to some additional racing parts.

NEXT: Every 5.0L Mustang, Ranked