Kyle Johnson
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Ford May Bring Back the Mustang Mach 1 (Yes, the Real One)

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2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1
2003 Mustang Mach 1
Photo: Ford Motor Company

When Ford first announced the vehicle now known as the Mustang Mach-E nearly two years ago, it was calling its electric performance SUV the Mach 1. And, ho boy, if you think folks are mad about the fact that it’s called the Mustang Mach-E, just imagine how mad they were about the idea of an electric SUV sharing a name with one of the more legendary Mustangs of all time.

But get this: Ford, perhaps as a mea culpa to salve the wounds of furious enthusiasts, may very well be working on bringing back the Mustang Mach 1 … as, ya know, like a conventional Mustang.

The rumor was first reported by Carbuzz, who spotted a video quickly taken down by CJ Pony Parts in which someone with knowledge of Ford’s inner-workings suggested that the Mach 1 will return in 2021. Carbuzz expands, saying that the Mach 1 will likely hit the scene as a replacement for the Mustang Bullitt. The last time Ford trotted out a Mustang Mach 1 in 2003-04, it followed in the wake of a Bullitt, so there’s at least precedent.


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Unfortunately, Ford missed the opportunity to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of the Mach 1, which originally launched in 1968 as a very nice ’69 model, hung around until 1978, and made a brief comeback in 2003-04. But then, when you’re dropping a new Mustang, you don’t always need a reason why.

As this stage, there’s not much use speculating about this or that, but you can reasonably assume that a Mustang Mach 1 would slot between the Mustang GT and the Shelby GT500 in terms of output. Or, hell, maybe Ford’ll just go hog wild and make the Mach 1 a 1,000-horsepower beast just to quiet down folks who’re mad about the way they named an SUV. Or, perhaps, Ford will just troll everyone but good and make the Mach 1 its rumored Mustang EV, which might just cause a head or two to explode Scanners-style. We’ll just hafta wait and see!


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  • 1967 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Concept
  • 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
  • 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1
  • 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1