Ford couldn’t let the 50th anniversary of the Mustang pass without creating a unique model to honor the milestone. Its Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition does just that.
The Blue Oval will make it easy to order one of the 1,964 cars to be produced. You’ll only be able to choose the paint color (Wimbledon White or Kona Blue) and transmission type (six-speed manual or six-speed automatic). Ford will take care of the rest by throwing in a lot of goodies as standard equipment. A 5-liter V8 with more than 420 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque will be under the hood. In addition, “every 50 Year Limited Edition will be equipped with the Mustang GT performance pack that includes massive six-piston Brembo front brakes and 19-inch alloy wheels with high-performance Y-speed-rated Pirelli P-Zero summer tires.” Models with the manual gearbox will feature a Torsen differential with a 3.73:1 final drive ratio; those with the auto will run a limited-slip rear diff and 3.55:1 gearing.
Other special touches are vintage-inspired and cosmetic in nature. “‘Chrome trim was much more prevalent on cars in the 1960s than it is today, so we added some discreet highlights for the grille, side glass and tri-bar taillamps,’” Moray Callum, Ford vice president of design, said. Look out for the faux gas cap badge on the rear fascia and louvered rear quarter-windows a la the 1965 Mustang fastback. Inside, there’s aluminum trim with an exclusive axel spin finish, two-tone cashmere and black leather upholstery, and a serialized badge commemorating this Mustang’s special nature.
You’ll be able to spot the Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition at dealerships this fall. Until then, you can see it in the image gallery below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
