10 Iconic Muscle Cars: Ford Mustang Through the Years

The Ford Mustang has been around for decades, the ultimate muscle car, offering power and performance at an affordable price.

The Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic and popular muscle cars in American car history and is known for its powerful package, affordable price tag, and dependable long-term reliability. The brand first launched the Mustang in 1963 for buyers looking for a car with a mighty engine and raw driving experience. A number of generations and iterations of the Mustang have so far been launched in the market.

Over time, the Mustang not only got better but also featured multiple tech-upgrades and performance modifications that helped the brand not only push the sales numbers in the market, but also attract true muscle car fans. While most of the Mustang models are still loved and remembered, these Ford Mustang models are often ranked as the best and are often referred to as the most iconic and best iterations of the legendary Mustang brand name in America.

Launched after the Shelby GT350, the Shelby GT500 was targeted for buyers looking for a more powerful and dependable street-racer. Also regarded as Shelby's finest muscle car ever produced, the 1967 Shelby GT500 was the last car which was built in Shelby American's Venice, California shop. With its more sophisticated design and a handsome styling, the 1967 Shelby GT500 not only boasted a strong road presence, but also offered phenomenal performance.

Under the hood, it was offered with a 428 V8 engine, which was capable of delivering 355 hp and 420 lb-ft of maximum torque. With a claimed 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 128 mph, the 1967 Shelby GT500 was the second-fastest muscle car on Ford's handling course at the time.

With its Mustang GT inspired styling and a sportier package, the 1968 Ford Mustang California Special offered a great blend of the Mustang GT and the Shelby. To make things even better, the brand offered multiple engine options for buyers, ranging from 302 to 428. It was, however, the 390 V8 engine that found the most buyers and had a power output of 325 hp.

With dedicated campaigns like 'California made It Happen!', one out of five of these muscle cars were sold in California alone and were offered with unique styling cues and special parts like Lucas fog lights, special hood pins, and a pop-open gas cap.

Designed purely for the racetracks, the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 was one of the most powerful muscle cars of its time and, as the name suggests, was offered with a 429 V8 engine which was tuned to deliver 375 hp and 450 lb-ft of maximum torque. Many, however, believe that this 429 V8 NASCAR-special engine was capable of delivering way more power than the claimed figures when driven at full throttle.

The '69 Boss 429 is also one of the few cars to boast a better styling than the legendary Shelby GT500, and impressed everyone with its performance and strong character. With only 1,359 ever produced, the 1969 Boss 429 is an extremely rare car today and was available only in 1969 and 1970. It is worth noting the fact that a number of modifications and reinforcements from Kar Kraft Engineering were utilized to modify the stock Mustang chassis to fit the new and more powerful motor properly in the engine bay.

Related: 10 American Classic Cars That Offer An Exhilarating Drive

Unlike the earlier Shelby models, the 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra Jet was designed and developed by Ford following the cancelation between Carroll Shelby and Ford to produce Shelby-branded Mustang muscle cars. Despite this, the muscle car did offer a great package for hardcore muscle car enthusiasts with its iconic styling, impressive performance, and balanced dynamics.

What made it even more special were new styling and mechanical add-ons like an extended hood and front fenders with ram air ductwork, flared wheel arches and a massive grille upfront. Under the hood, this version of the GT500 was offered with the mighty 428 cu-in Cobra Jet V8 engine, which was rated at 335 hp and 440 lb-ft of maximum torque.

With a 0-60 mph time of just 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 114 mph, the 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was not only fast, but was also known for its phenomenal driving experience. An optional Drag Pack package was also on offer and came with a number of performance updates like a Hurst shifter, front disc brakes, power steering, front radiator mounted engine oil cooler, Magnum 500 wheels, and 4.30 gears.

The '71 Mustang Mach 1, unlike the older models, featured a longer body length and was a big departure from Ford's conventional muscle car styling, which was largely dominated by clean cuts and creases. The front fascia with new round lights and fog lamps, stripe package and multiple performance upgrades were a few of the main factors behind the car's major success in the market.

The Fox-body Mustangs gained huge popularity in the early '90s, and the brand planned a special farewell for the Fox-body muscle cars with the launch of the 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. Designed and developed by Ford's internal Special Vehicle Team (SVT), this iteration of the Mustang was offered with a heavily modified 302 cu-in V8 engine with GT40 'High-Flow' cast iron cylinder heads and roller rocker arms.

To further improve the performance, the engineers utilized a more aggressive camshaft, enlarged fuel injectors, a redesigned intake manifold and a high-flow exhaust system. This helped the engine boast a maximum power output of 235 hp and 280 lb-ft of maximum torque. The brand also went on to launch a performance-spec Cobra R model with upgraded suspension and drive line components, in addition to a lighter body weight.

Related: Here's What Makes The 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra An Affordable V8-Powered Classic

The 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R was introduced as a pure racing car with all the fast goodies Ford had at the time. The extensive list of modifications include a sport-tuned Eibach-Bilstein suspension, Brembo brakes, an exterior aero package, and multiple other powertrain upgrades that helped the engineers extract maximum performance from the machine. The brand also removed the second row seat, air conditioning, radio, and cruise control.

Powering the 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R was a 5.4-liter V8 engine with a dual-overhead-cam setup. This engine was capable of delivering 385 hp and 385 lb-ft of maximum torque, and channeled power to the rear wheels via a short-ratio Tremec T56 six-speed transmission.

Ford relaunched the Boss nameplate with the launch of the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca and positioned it as a lucrative option for buyers looking for strong performance and a no-nonsense package. With a 444 hp, 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood, the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca was significantly more powerful than the Boss 302 and is still regarded as an economical track-weapon in the American market.

The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca version also came with Recaro seats, a limited-slip differential, and a prominent rear wing to improve the aerodynamics. Moreover, the muscle car also came with stiffer suspension, and Pirelli R-compound tires, performance brakes and an air scoop on the transmission for improved cooling.

For those looking for a perfect blend of traditional Mustang-Shelby package and modern technology, the 2016 Shelby GT350 is a muscle car worth checking out. A classic exterior styling and a premium cabin in addition to an involving driving experience helps this iteration of the Mustang attract most of the cult muscle car enthusiasts.

Under the hood, the 2016 Shelby GT350 came with a 5.2-liter DOHC 32-valve V8 engine that churns out a peak power output of 562 hp and 428 lb-ft of maximum torque. This engine comes mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and helps the car do a 0-60 mph run in just 4.1 seconds. The 2016 Shelby GT350 makes even more sense with a JD Power Consumer Verified rating of 83 out of 100 for buyers looking for a dependable street-race car.

Related: 10 Iconic Muscle Cars We'd Buy Over The New Mustang

The 2019 Ford Mustang is one of the most popular Mustang models and is loved for its aggressive styling and power-packed performance. The Mustang Bullitt took things further forward with its additional modifications and unique elements that gave it a better and a sportier character. To make things even better, the brand offered two color options – Dark Highland Green Metallic and Shadow Black.

What made things more special was a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine, which was capable of delivering 460 hp and 420 lb-ft of maximum torque. We saw the same engine being offered with the Mustang GT Premium. The 2019 Mustang Bullitt also boasts a rear-wheel-drive setup and a slick shifting six-speed manual transmission that make driving extremely fun and involving.

An engineer by education and a motorhead by heart, he loves spending time behind the wheels. In the age of SUVs and crossovers, he still adores old-school low-slung sedans and drools over the Mustang '69.