The Boss 302 Mustang is one of the most appealing muscle cars ever made. It’s not the greatest, nor the quickest, but it looks about as good as anything else you might see on the road, and parking one in your driveway will instantly boost your “street cred” among muscle car enthusiasts.
Of course, there could only be one reason for this car to exist in the first place – Ford needed to comply with Trans Am rules and thus the Boss 302 spec Mustang had to be homologated for the road. These babies proved so successful that Ford kept them in production for multiple model years, unlike competitors like the Challenger T/A or the AAR ‘Cuda, both of which endured for just a single year.
Now, whenever we see a Boss 302 up for grabs at auction, we fully expect it to fetch a pretty penny. Just a few months ago we saw a gorgeous red 1970 example that exchanged hands for $92,000. So then what went wrong for this Medium Lime model? The seller decided to pull the plug after the highest bid maxed out at just $54,500.
The truth is, not all Boss 302 Mustangs are created equal. Some are numbers matching, others aren’t. Meanwhile, there are also those that feature unique backstories, such as the Boss 302 that was benchmarked by Chrysler when developing the previously mentioned AAR Cuda and Challenger T/A. That particular Boss 302 is up for grabs too, by the way.
This Medium Lime one comes with all the visual cues you’d expect from a Boss 302 (hockey stick side stripes, front spoiler, rear wing, rear window louvers), plus 15-inch Magnum 500-style wheels with BFGoodrich Radial T/A rubber. It’s also got the competition suspension and quick-ratio steering box.
As for the interior, highlights include the black vinyl front bucket seats and folding sport deck rear bench, a heater, Hurst shifter, a non-functional AM Radio, and a period-appropriate three-spoke steering wheel.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
Last but not least, the engine, which is a 302 V8, properly rated at 290 horsepower, sending everything to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission and a Traction-Lok differential. Also included in the sale are the window sticker, build sheet, warranty card, owner’s manual, and various Mustang literature.
So then, what went wrong? Well, some would argue that without an original Boss 302 engine, you’ve got no Boss 302 Mustang – and this Mustang features a replacement Windsor-based race engine, built under previous ownership. According to someone who claims to have inside knowledge of the vehicle, the car used to feature a non-VIN matching Boss 302 unit before the Windsor motor was built.
True Boss or not, buyers weren’t particularly impressed by this story, which would explain why the reserve wasn’t met.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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