The Top 10 Mustangs of All Time

50 years of production in a row is a long stretch in the automotive world, and you can’t achieve that rare feat without a certain amount of greatness. Certainly, the Ford Mustang hasn’t always been the greatest car out there (cough cough, Mustang II, cough), but the Mustang is more of an icon than a mere form of transportation. It is almost a Deity among mere mortals, a stallion that refuses to go to the glue factory, so to speak. If the Volkswagen Beetle was the original “people’s car”, the Mustang was the original sportscar of the working-class in America. In 50 years, it’s undergone more transformations than Dolly Parton and Michael Jackson combined, so an apples-to-apples comparison between generations is impossible. Therefore, the 10 Mustangs in this list are arranged in no order other than in my own personal opinion, although you certainly won’t find any Grandes, V6s, or EcoBoosts on this list…

#10: McLaren M81

While the oil crisis of the 1980s pretty much strangled the V8 muscle era, the Foxbody SVO was considered the best solution. With the 2.3-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder from the Thunderbird TurboCoupe, the SVO became somewhat of a cult classic amongst Foxbody enthusiasts. The McLaren M81 was a special version of the SVO that was tuned to produce nearly 180 horsepower (hype), and is extremely collectible (only around 200 were ever made). Yes, it’s lame by Mustang standards, but it’s the best they could do in the 80s.

#9:. Mustang GT (all years)

Without the Mustang GT, you don’t have the pony car craze of the 1960s. Simple as that. The Mustang GT was the car that started it all. One of few cars that could legitimately make a case for being America’s sportscar, the Mustang GT has lasted for over 50 years, even through the dark ages that were the 1970s and 1980s. And it’s still a vehicle of lust and desire the world over.

#8: Saleen Mustang

Steve Saleen is one of those tuners that doesn’t get the same credit in this day and age that he did back in the 90s and early 2000s. But the Saleen Mustangs, in their various guises, were some of the most popular tuner specials that Mustang enthusiasts could get their hands on. Upgrades to the suspension made the Saleen much better in the corners, while engine modifications could give engines upwards of 600 horsepower.

#7: Roush Mustang

Jack Roush knows Mustangs. He used to be a Ford engineer, but created his own company in 1995 with the goal of making the best performance parts you can find for a Mustang. Today, Roush Performance Parts are available from specific Ford dealers, but Roush is probably best known for his Mustangs. Available in various levels of tuning to suit various budgets, the Roush Mustang is noted for having much better handling than Ford-built live axle Mustangs. The most notorious Roush Mustang was featured on a 2007 episodeTop Gear, where it beat a 2008 Shelby GT500 around the test track by 3 seconds despite having 85 fewer horsepower.

#6: SN95 SVT Cobra R (2000)

2000 doesn’t exactly sound like the year of a classic Mustang, but 300 of the most eye-catching Mustangs ever made (yes, I am talking about a variant of the New Edge SN95) were built that year. The SVT Cobra R was a fully kitted out Mustang that looked like it belonged on the track, not the street. The performance upgrades over the standard Cobra suggest that as well—a model-specific 5.4L V8 was shoved in the R, producing 385 horsepower and just as many foot pounds of torque. Upgraded suspension made it a star in the corners (although the standard Cobra already had an IRS), and the limited production of this model means that I will likely never see one in the flesh. With no A/C and no radio, it’s a harsh bugger, but it’s one of the few Mustangs that came race ready from the Ford factory.

5: SN95 SVT Cobra "Terminator" (2003-2004)

The 2003-2004 Mustang SVT Cobra is one of the most underrated Mustangs of all time. The darkest of the Horses. It came with a supercharged 4.6-litre V8 that produced, as near as makes no difference, 400 horsepower and just as much torque. I don’t really know if you can call a Mustang a sleeper, but the fairly pedestrian-looking SN95 variant would probably shock most people in a race against the S197 GT. This was also considered one of the best-handling ‘stangs of all time too, with an independent rear suspension and relatively light weight.

#4: Boss 302/429 (1968-1970)

If you hear someone talk about a Boss Mustang, you know they’re talking about a fast one. The Boss nameplate has long been associated with speed, and rightfully so. The Boss 302 was actually a road-going homologation version of the Mustang used in Trans-Am racing, while the Boss 429 was a homologation version of the Mustang used in NASCAR. The Boss 429 was a savage speed demon with a maelstrom of power and torque, while the Boss 302 was a little more pared-back and street-oriented. Either way, these Mustangs featured power and handling upgrades from the GT, and are extremely sought after today as collectibles.

#3: Shelby Mustang G.T.350/G.T.350R (1965-1966)

You simply cannot have a list of the best Mustangs of all time without mentioning the Shelby Mustang. The late Carroll Shelby has rightfully earned the honour of being the best Mustang tuner of all time. He only ever put his name to the fastest Mustangs out there, and could make a case for being one of the greatest tuners of all time. The G.T.350 and G.T.350R were Shelby’s first Mustangs, and were also some of the greatest pony cars of the day. The ones made before 1967 were the lightest, and with 300 horsepower, were quick even by today’s standards. One of my favourite cars of all time, the 65-66 Shelby Mustangs are among the most famous Mustangs ever made, and are extremely collectible.

#2: Shelby G.T.500/G.T.500KR (1967-1970)

The ultra-rare G.T500 was Carroll Shelby’s most legendary Mustang, the magnum opus of his work with Ford if you will. The 428 Cobra Jet engine produced the most eargasmic of bass notes, and was seriously powerful. Although heavier than the G.T.350 and less powerful than the Boss 429, the G.T.500 still went like a cheetah that backed into a fire. Add to the fact that they were built in extremely low numbers, and you have a formula for a proper classic. The fact that it was in Gone in 60 Seconds isn’t too shabby, either.

#1. Shelby Mustang G.T.350/G.T.350R (2015-present)

In case you were curious, I have a step-by-step instructions guide for starting controversy. But seriously, I am using this post more to make a point rather than to tell you about my favourite Mustangs. And that point is the new Mustang GT350 is a damn good car, and deserves to be called a Mustang in every sense of the word.

There’s more than just muscle when it comes to talking about a Mustang. “Oh, but Gary, the new GT350 wasn’t built with torque in mind!”. Well, with 430 pound feet of torque, it is in the top 75% of a heavily narrowed-down list of Mustangs. “Oh, but Gary, it doesn’t sound like a Mustang!” Neither did the McLaren M81 or the SVO Mustang, but nobody rags on them for that. It has a V8 for crying out loud! And a stellar one at that.

I guess the big deal I am trying to make is that, by the numbers anyway, the new GT350 has every right to not just be considered a true pony car, but the greatest one, as well. Let’s not kid ourselves, it could probably beat most (if not all) of the aforementioned Mustangs on a drag strip, and would slaughter them on a track. But, more importantly, the new GT350 does something that a Mustang hasn’t done in a long time. It’s reclaimed a crown. It’s regained a reputation as being one of the best cars in the world. That certainly hasn’t been done since the 60s. And it’s even more impressive when you consider that the playing field has grown exponentially. It’s been a long time since anyone has complained about how a Mustang is too much like a Ferrari. Henry Ford and Carroll Shelby are probably both laughing the lids off their coffins at anybody who seriously think that this is a problem. But as the V8 approaches its final years, it could very well be the case that the GT350 is the last great performance V8 Mustang, and I give Ford tremendous credit for bringing it into the modern age. They’ve done a legend great justice by making it a legend in its own time, and not just compared to its ancestors. They’ve let it age in the same way as the Hank Williams family dynasty—they’ve let the future generation become its own being, not just a caricature of its forefathers. And, in the process, they have created, in my mind, the greatest Mustang ever conceived.

By far.