Ever since its introduction in 1964, the Ford Mustang has existed in a league of its own. It was created as a small, sporty and affordable muscle car (ushering in what was nicknamed the pony car segment) and has exploded with its popularity exceeding the brand's every expectation.
For the past six decades, the pony car has been the center of muscle car culture and starred in movies as driven by legends such as Steve McQueen in Bullitt or Nicolas Cage in Gone In 60 Seconds. And while the Mustang has changed a lot over the years, if there's one thing that has stayed the same, it's that they're downright cool.
Still, some Mustangs were cooler than others, either because they were rare and special or simply because they were pure performance beasts. In this list, we give you 10 of our very favorite Mustangs that stood out from the crowd and still evoke nothing but awe and respect.
10 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
Equipped with a beastly 306-hp V8, the 1967 Shelby GT350 is one of the coolest Ford Mustangs to ever hit the market. It was a thrill to drive and looked great with its added driving lights and various scoops accenting its fastback body.
The spirited pony car is highly valued as it can be found used for an average of $155,000. This is a significant jump in value considering its $4,000 MSRP which is equivalent to around $29,000 at the current dollar value.
9 2012 Mustang Boss 302
The 2012 Mustang Boss 302 was part of the 5th generation Mustang and came with a 5.0L V8 engine that could output up to 444 hp. Its MSRP was completely justified as you got all these specs at the price of $41,000.
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Taking the Mustang GT's engine and implementing a new intake manifold resulted in a small power boost that further boosted the fun factor.
8 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500
The original GT500 came with a 7-liter (428 ci) V8. The 1967 GT500 took things to a different level by outputting 355 hp. You may remember this car from the Gone In 60 Seconds remake, although Eleanor was modified to produce 790 hp.
From an MSRP of $8,000, the 1967 GT500 has grown to a jaw-dropping estimate of up to $200,000. That's an indication of how rare this beauty is!
7 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet
Packing a powerful enough engine to output 335 hp, the 428 Cobra Jet was a fairly affordable car with an original listing price of around $3,400. With only 1,299 cars having been built by Ford, this is considered one of the coolest and rarest Mustangs on the market.
With an incredibly good (for the period) 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds and considering the limited availability, the '68 Mustang Cobra Jet can be found in auctions for no less than $135,000.
6 2021 Mustang GT
Powered by a 5.0L V8 engine that outputs 460 horsepower, the 2021 Mustang GT is a power not to be reckoned with. The sports car has a limited top speed of 155 mph and a 0-60 time of just 4.6 seconds.
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It may come in various colors, but we think the bright orange does it justice more than any other.
5 2013 Shelby GT500
With a total of 4,885 produced, this may not be the rarest Mustang out there, but it sure is one of the craziest. This beast's engine produced 662 hp and 631 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to reach a top speed of over 200 mph along with a 0-60 of just 3.5 seconds. This model was significantly cheaper than its successors, too, with an MSRP of just $55,000.
Sure, it's loud, sucks down a lot of fuel, and feels like a street-legal rocket, but it's one incredible bang-for-the-buck Mustang. It also featured Launch Control that allows for adjustable RPM holds and maximum traction control upon acceleration.
4 1964 ½ Mustang
The very first pony car to hit the American car market, the 1964 1/2 Mustang came with a 3-speed manual transmission as standard, with an optional 4-speed automatic. With a standard V6 engine, the top speed was still a respectable 110 mph, and it could reach 60 mph in 9 seconds. Ford's original plan was to produce a car for young drivers who loved speed and style, but the car attracted drivers of all ages.
Coming in at an MSRP of $2,368 and with more than 300,000 cars built in the first year, this isn't as rare a car as you may think. However, if it has been kept in pristine condition, it could earn someone around $18,000. Its place in history and importance to the Mustang nameplate alone are enough to make this classic one incredibly cool ride.
3 1980 Mustang M81 McLaren
The cool factor here comes from sheer rarity. The original plan was to create 250 M81s, but in the end, only 10 were built making this Mustang one of the coolest and rarest McLarens to hit the market. Its specs? Nothing too crazy, a top speed of 95 mph and a 0-60 time of 9.76 seconds.
As for what was fit under the hood, the M81 was equipped with a 2.3L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, that produced 175 horsepower and a 155 lb-ft torque at 3,000 RPM.
2 2016 Shelby GT350R
Lighter and more agile than its street-going counterpart, the GT350R is a true beast on the track. It's easily the best-performing GT350 ever built, and it's naturally one of the rarest. It features a 190-mph top speed thanks to its 526-hp V8, along with a 4.3-second 0-60 time.
The 2016 Shelby GT350R was a bit pricier than the rest of the Mustang line as it came at a price of around $65,000. However, this can be justified by the car's impeccable performance. Too bad Ford is no longer making these.
1 1969 Boss 429 Mustang
Whether it's the ridiculous performance, the muscular and overstated looks, or the fact that only 859 units hit the market, we find the 1969 Boss 429 to be the coolest Mustang to be ever created. Despite being rated at 375 hp, the car could realistically push 500 hp, which for 1969 was simply outstanding. It could go 0-60 in 5.3 seconds, run the quarter mile in around 13.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 118 mph.
With an MSRP of $4,740 the limited edition car wasn't affordable to most. Its price has grown to extreme levels with 1969 Boss 429 Mustangs going on auction for an average of $200,000!