Estimated Price: £60,000 - £70,000

The Mach 1 was launched to the public in April 1968 at the 1968 New York International Auto Show as part of Ford’s expanded 1969 model year range, arriving at a time when the Mustang had already firmly established itself as one of America’s most infamous cars. Positioned between the standard Mustang GT and the more competition orientated Boss models, the Mach 1 was conceived as a more sophisticated 'grand touring' interpretation of the Mustang, combining more aggressive styling with genuine high performance. For 1969 alone, buyers could choose from an extraordinary catalogue of factory performance Mustangs, including the GT, Boss 302, Boss 429, Shelby GT350, Shelby GT500 and the newly launched Mach 1, making it one of the most significant years in the model’s history.

Based exclusively on the fastback SportsRoof bodyshell, the Mach 1 featured a host of unique visual and mechanical upgrades over the standard car. These included a matte black bonnet treatment with integrated hood pins, competition suspension, chrome exhaust tips, sports wheels with Goodyear tyres, high back bucket seats, woodgrain interior trim and additional sound insulation to make the cabin a more refined place to spend time. Optional extras included front and rear spoilers, rear window louvres and the distinctive 'shaker' hood scoop mounted directly to the engine, although even in standard form the Mach 1 had unmistakable road presence.

From a mechanical perspective, at the top of the range sat Ford’s formidable 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air V8, a 4-barrel, 7.0-litre big block officially rated at 335bhp, although period testing suggested the true figure was comfortably higher. With torque exceeding 440lb/ft, the 428ci equipped Mach 1 was capable of 0 to 60mph in around 5.5 seconds and a standing quarter mile in the low-14 second bracket, remarkable figures for 1969 and enough to place it among the fastest production cars available in America at the time. When paired with the factory close-ratio 4-speed Toploader manual gearbox, as offered here, the result was one of the most desirable and engaging Mach 1 specifications available.

Manufactured at Ford’s Metuchen, New Jersey plant on 17th December 1968, and first UK-registered on 1st January 2018, showing just two owners in the UK, this example presents in notably impressive condition throughout. Finished in black, the paintwork carries a subtle red tint in direct sunlight which gives the aesthetics additional depth. The muscular lines of the Mach 1 remain among the most recognisable of any late 1960s American performance car and are complemented here by chrome styled wheels and rear window louvres which suit the car particularly well.

The black interior is equally well presented and reflects the careful ownership this car has clearly enjoyed. The cabin retains the purposeful feel that made the Mach 1 so appealing when new, while the factory R-code chassis confirms this example as a genuine 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air car. With only a small fraction of 1969 Mach 1 production believed to have been specified with Ford’s formidable 7.0-litre big block V8 and factory 4-speed Toploader manual gearbox, examples such as this are recognised among the rarest and most desirable road going Mach 1s produced. Exceptionally rare in this configuration and offered in outstanding order throughout, this is a particularly handsome example of one of the most sought-after Mustangs of the era.