2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1

In 1969, Ford launched a Mustang model that gave American muscle fans a sleek, new fastback pony car that might prove to be the most popular and best looking Mustang ever built. The Mach 1 Mustang featured a rear spoiler, an aggressively-angled front air dam, fake side scoops mounted on each quarter panel, "comfort-weave" seats, and one of the coolest hood scoops to ever grace a FoMoCo product. This "shaker" hood scoop was mounted directly to the carburetor and was visible through an opening in the hood. Besides moving from side to side when you revved the motor, it also provided much needed fresh air to the engine—a choice of either a 250-horsepower, 351 cubic-inch V-8 or the monstrous 335-horse, 428 cubic-inch Cobra Jet powerplant.

The Mach 1, with its "shaker" scoop?a throwback to the original Mach 1?looks as good as it goes.

Flash forward to the Summer of 2001 when Ford went looking for a way to sustain Mustang sales at high enough levels to justify the rebirthing of the nearly 40 year-old nameplate. Fresh off its success with the 2001 Mustang Bullet GT, Ford's Team Mustang built a Mach 1 prototype and sent it on tour to events across the country to judge buyer interest. Thanks to rave reviews, the Team got the green light to build the Mach 1 as a limited edition 2003 model. But, unlike the 1974 Mustang II Mach 1, which featured a pathetic 2.8-liter V-6 as the "big" engine, the 2003 version would need a real engine to justify the legendary name. It would have to pump out more power than the 260 horsepower 4.6-liter, 16-valve SOHC V-8 that motivates the regular GT models.


Mach 1 fans will be happy to know that Ford has come through. The 2003 Mach 1 gets its power from a 4.6-liter, 32-valve DOHC V-8 that puts out 305 horsepower and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. Inside, it features specially calibrated camshafts and a forged crankshaft. To help move air in and out of this beast, Ford fitted a modified upper intake manifold to accommodate the ram-air system, while performance exhaust manifolds get rid of the spent gases. This is essentially the same engine that Ford installs in its SVT Cobra version of the Mustang, but without the SVT's supercharger. The result is improved acceleration compared to the GT, especially from a standing start.

The gray-backed instrument cluster sports retro-look dials and a Mach 460 6-disc in-dash CD changer audio system.

The Mach 1 also gets a special handling package that includes beefier front and rear coil springs, Tokico struts and shocks, and larger anti-roll bars. Ford also added frame rail connectors to increase the structural rigidity of the body to further aid handling. We had the opportunity to drive the Mach 1 on a tight, twisty racetrack road course and on regular city streets and freeways. Despite sitting 1/2-inch lower, the Mach 1 rides only slightly worse than a regular Mustang GT, yet it handles much better. The 40-plus jump in horsepower over a V-8 GT is felt especially when exiting a sharp curve where you really need the power to help the car rotate around the corner.


Buyer's can choose between either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. The Mach 1 uses a special solid rear axle with 3.55:1 gears. The front brake rotors are 13-inch Brembo units, compared with 10.8-inch rotors on the GT. In the rear, there are vented 11.6-inch rotors versus 10.5-inch non-vented units. This leads to more consistent braking especially under severe driving conditions. The front brake calipers have a black-anodized finish and are visible through the five spokes of the great-looking 17x8-inch Heritage wheels. At all four corners, Goodyear 245/45ZR17 Eagle tires connect the Mach 1 to the road, while standard traction control and anti-lock brakes help the driver maintain control.