It's the late 2000s, the economy is tanking and you want to buy American to support it. But a regular Ford Mustang just isn't exotic enough. Fortunately, Roush makes something special, the 427R.
Look, it might sound strange right now, but the 5th-gen Mustang is going to be a classic pretty soon. Yeah, we're talking about the cheap one that keeps crashing at car meets. Some models are going to be worth a lot of money, but only if they can trigger nostalgia, and this Roush does it for me.
Back in the 2000s, Ford was on top of its game, especially when it came to the SVT products. You had the 2nd-gen F-150 Lightning, the first Focus RS, and especially the GT, a supercar to rule them all in Michigan. The Mustang was right in the middle of it all, thanks to its new-found retro identity.
Roush was really killing it as a brand too, so you can see why somebody might want to collect a Roush Mustang from that era. This one is the 427R from 2008 and is already quite valuable. Vanguard Motors just put this pony up for sale at $44,900. That's right in between a new GT and Mach 1.
A little bit of confusion is created around the name. Usually, a number like that is supposed to symbolize the engine displacement in cubic inches. But the 427R only uses a 4.6-liter with a supercharger. As far as we can remember, the model was rated at 427 horsepower for 2007 and got 435 hp the next year. The R is just short for Roush, the brand that's subtly mentioned... in large font on almost every part.
The engine bay of this Mustang still looks brand new and that's because the car only had one owner since new and did 1,206 miles. The glossy Vista Blue Paint looks perfect and ties together a pretty large body kit, which includes bumpers, skirts, quarter-window louvers, and a giant trunk spoiler. The 18-inch chrome wheels and blue leather interior might seem ridiculous to some, but they perfectly capture that era.
It will make you feel a dozen years younger on the inside. Sure, some might not get it, but $44,900 isn't bad for something that could grow in value.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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