Mach 1 - Who wouldn't love a pony?

The Mustang Mach 1 has always been a bit of an outlier. The performance package was first produced in 1968 for the 1969 model year. It has always been a best-seller, but it tends to fall to the wayside when compared to the GT and the Cobra. It has been on my mind since our discussion of the Mach E previously, with Ford reviving the Mach 1 alongside its new electric crossover, and I just saw a beautiful red and black ‘69 at the gas station today as I was looking for inspiration for this post. Something is pointing me in the direction of a Mustang, so I’m doing my research and studying up.

Ford was no stranger to alternative performance packages when the Mach 1 released. That year alone included the GT, Boss 302, Boss 429, Shelby GT350, Shelby GT500 and the Mach 1, which sat somewhere in between the GT and Shelby models. With a selection of V8s, ranging from 5.8L to 7.0L, the original Mach 1 was truly a beast to behold. As time wore on and fuel efficiency laws clamped down, Ford whittled away at the Mach 1 engine until it was a mere V6 with less than 200hp in the late 1970s before cancelling the project completely.

Hopes were reignited in the mid-2000s when Ford announced the Mach 1 New Edge platform in 2003. Unfortunately, the project only lasted for two model years; the ‘90s and 2000s were dominated by the SVT Cobra, the fastest production Mustang ever built at the time. The Mach 1 was a midpoint between the GT and the Cobra, and it wound up being overshadowed by the latter.

Third time is a charm, right? That’s the idea behind the upcoming 2021 Mach 1. This time around, Ford is using the same Coyote 5.0LV8 as the build, which is an equally exciting project on its own. The new Mach 1 will put out a whopping 480 hp and will feature many of the same elements as the Shelby models,including the intake manifold and rear diffusers. Ford is really giving Mustang fans a lot to be excited about this year, and the new Mach 1 sits in a really nice sweet spot between performance and value. It beats with the heart of a Shelby, but it leans heavily on the GT upon which it is based. I’m very excited for this new generation of Ponies, if that weren’t obvious, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

-Trey Fennell