Photo: Mecum
In the world of Mustangs, there is a thing called a California Special. Shortened to CS, the moniker, as well as the modifications it came with, were applied to a very limited number of cars ever since the 1960s.
In all of America’s automotive history, the state of California has always occupied a special place for one reason or another. Quick to adopt new ideas, the state was one of the go-to places to test whatever new thoughts crossed the minds of carmakers’ higher-ups.
When the muscle car craze began in the early 1960s, Cali was quick to jump on board, and by the end of the decade it was one of the biggest markets for such vehicles. Ford was especially favored there, where it sold about a fifth of the Mustangs and Thunderbirds it made that decade.
Such a big market needed a special model, and in early 1968 Ford introduced the California Special version of the Mustang GT. Called GT/CS, it was developed by Shelby Automotive and a number of other partners.
Uniquely styled for the California market, the Mustang GT/CS came with a special look and unique body parts, and generally with a 289ci (4.7-liter) V8 engine. But there were also 390ci-powered variants.
In all, a little over 4,000 Mustang GT/CS were made (the target was 5,000), and that makes them extremely rare and sought after. Even rarer are the ones with the 390ci (6.4-liters) V8 engine under the hood, and having one pop up on an auction block is not something that happens every day.
But here is one, sitting on the lot of cars that were supposed to sell at the Mecum auction in Houston, Texas in April – the event has been postponed, with no new date announced yet.
Wearing an Acapulco Blue paint over a blue interior, it comes powered by the said 390, and is one of the best looking-examples of the breed still roaming the roads.
When the muscle car craze began in the early 1960s, Cali was quick to jump on board, and by the end of the decade it was one of the biggest markets for such vehicles. Ford was especially favored there, where it sold about a fifth of the Mustangs and Thunderbirds it made that decade.
Such a big market needed a special model, and in early 1968 Ford introduced the California Special version of the Mustang GT. Called GT/CS, it was developed by Shelby Automotive and a number of other partners.
Uniquely styled for the California market, the Mustang GT/CS came with a special look and unique body parts, and generally with a 289ci (4.7-liter) V8 engine. But there were also 390ci-powered variants.
In all, a little over 4,000 Mustang GT/CS were made (the target was 5,000), and that makes them extremely rare and sought after. Even rarer are the ones with the 390ci (6.4-liters) V8 engine under the hood, and having one pop up on an auction block is not something that happens every day.
But here is one, sitting on the lot of cars that were supposed to sell at the Mecum auction in Houston, Texas in April – the event has been postponed, with no new date announced yet.
Wearing an Acapulco Blue paint over a blue interior, it comes powered by the said 390, and is one of the best looking-examples of the breed still roaming the roads.
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