Over the past 60 years, many things have come and gone. Presidential administrations have changed. MC Hammer had his time in the spotlight. “Gangnam Style” is now old enough to be considered a throwback hit. But the Ford Mustang has always been a dream car for kids, teens, and adults. I’m of the generation that was in college when our Pick of the Day, a 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1, was a new car and a constant daydream.
When you’re a kid, eating pizza and cake is typically something you get to do on your birthday. That’s part of what makes that combo so great. If you ate it every day, it wouldn’t be a treat. It’s the same way with certain Mustang models, such as the Mach 1: They’re not around all the time, but when they are, they’re special.
After being discontinued in the 1970s, the Mustang Mach 1 didn’t come back until 2003 in the form of the “New Edge” design. Like its predecessors, it had black striping to distinguish it from regular Mustangs and, of course, extra power under its cool shaker hood scoop. While the Mustang GT’s 4.6-liter SOHC 16-valve V8 let 260 horses loose, the Mach 1 had a DOHC engine with four-valve heads, which added 45 horses to the Mach 1’s stampede and brought torque up to 320 lb-ft. According to Ford Performance, as part of the ’03 model’s development process, “Exhaust manifolds were port matched to the heads, and specific Mach 1 mufflers were tuned to create a unique sound.”
This particular Mach 1 comes in one of the most attractive and distinctive colors offered: Azure Blue. It’s a disarming shade which makes the enhanced V8 under the hood sound all the more menacing. Inside, there’s Dark Charcoal leather seating for four, power everything, a four-speed auto, and a Mach 460 sound system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer.
One thing that makes this Mach 1 even more special is its mileage. In 21 years, it’s only racked up 17,458 miles. Given that it took Ford almost two decades to release another Mach 1 after the 2003-2004 version of it, if you buy this ’03 for $29,500, you can probably hit the 50,000-mile mark before the Blue Oval comes out with an all-new model.
Click here to view the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.
Source: www.classiccars.com