Eleanor Mustang Price History Shows the Iconic Unicorn Is No Longer What It Used to Be

Not many cars have as much glorified silver screen presence as the 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback. From 'Bullit' to the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, the Mustang Fastback has always been portrayed as a tire-smoking pony capable of chasing after any car out there. The Eleanor Mustang, on the other hand, made it the definitive star car everyone was chasing after. This elusive unicorn is highly coveted, not just by Memphis Raines (the character played by actor Nicolas Cage), but also by legions of movie aficionados and auto-connoisseurs alike. The '67 Mustang Fastback is already a praiseworthy machine on its own, with its range-topping version being powered by a 6.4-liter (390ci) FE big block V8 engine that produces 320 horsepower.

While that may sound like plenty of oomph at the time, the film ramped up the Mustang's power by adding nitrous into the mix. Eleanor was already based on the performance-oriented Shelby GT500 variant, and the extra juice only made it faster, propelling it to speeds up to 160 mph. Speaking of ramp ups, the Mustang even drove through a one, literally, just to further spice things up, getting airborne in dramatic fashion. Sure, the Eleanor Mustang's exaggerated portrayal might be nothing more than movie magic; but it doesn't mean the mythical unicorn Mustang doesn't exist in real life. In fact, there are more Eleanors out in the wild than one might think; just don't expect them to be equally as valuable.

A tale of two Mustangs

There are usually two kinds of Eleanor Mustangs for sale: similar-looking cars converted into the beloved movie car icon and '67 Mustang Fastbacks actually used for filming purposes. Eleanor builds are still worth a hefty sum, especially if they're officially licensed tributes. However, the price of Eleanor Mustangs is drastically higher when they're one of the only 11 cars that came straight from the set. How expensive? Well, that's the tricky part, as recent sales history suggests that Eleanor Mustang prices tend to vacillate over time.

Prices are more constant for the so-called officially licensed Tribute Editions, which have remained around the $200,000 to $300,000 mark for years. Only two shops in the world are permitted to make such official Eleanor Mustang tributes, which involve accurately replicating a 'movie-correct' Eleanor from scratch. In 2021, one example was sold at an auction for $220,000; the following year, another was purchased for about the same price.

Everything in these types of Mustangs was perfectly recreated to a T, from the included NOS canister to the signature “Go-Baby-Go” shift knob. Of course, the only thing missing in these unicorn clones is the prestige of actually being part of the 2000 cult-classic movie.

Only three of the 11 movie cars still holding those honors are believed to be left standing. So whenever one of the original Eleanor Mustangs goes under the hammer, it often goes for at least half a million. In 2013, an example used in close-up shots was bought at an auction for a whopping $1 million. So, does Eleanor's seven-figure price tag still hold today, or did this fabled beast of a machine finally lose its luster?

"Don't do this to me!"

The line above is what Memphis often says whenever Eleanor stops working properly. These are probably the same words muttered by previous sellers of the original Eleanors whenever these coupes sold for less than the eye-watering price tag they once had a decade ago. In 2020, there was yet another verified Eleanor Mustang for sale, but this time, it sold for considerably less at $775,000.

While the celebrated movie icon might still be worth big money, it's no longer a seven-figure pony car. Fast forward three years later, a movie-produced Eleanor graced the auction floor, along with signed documentation verifying its participation in the movie. Unlike the Tribute Mustangs, this real-deal unicorn is rocking the 428ci dual-quad V8 and was said to be originally a Shelby GT500 converted for producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

However, when it was on Barett-Jackson earlier this year, it garnered less buzz than usual compared to similar authentic examples before it. That's because the Eleanor Mustang's price topped at $440,000 – hardly a million-dollar unicorn anymore. Meanwhile, the 'Fast and Furious' Supra was sold for a record-breaking $550,000 in 2021. That particular Supra wasn't even the original hero car in the first 'Fast' film, but rather a copy that was later repurposed into Slap Jack's Supra in the sequel.

Despite the iconic Eleanor preceding the 'FnF' Supra, not to mention it's likely one of the only three remaining examples, its price didn't even reach half of what it used to. Hopefully, the 'Stang's new owner will take care of the car's shiny Dupont Pepper Gray exterior, and maybe one day it will return the favor by going back to its former seven-figure glory. After all, Eleanor did save Memphis in the end, even when it tried getting him killed at first, right? As they say, take care of the car, and the car takes care of you.