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Remembering the Rare, Coachbuilt Mustang Dedicated to the Father of the Nameplate

Released on Father’s Day in 2009, 45 years after the original Mustang made its debut at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, this special edition S197 with its handcrafted body was dedicated to Lee Iacocca, the legend who made the nameplate possible.
2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition 15 photos
Photo: Ford Motor Co.
2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition
Throughout its 58-year history, special-edition Mustangs have been named after powerful engines (Boss, Cobra Jet), a venomous snake (King Cobra), or even a successful Hollywood movie (Bullitt), but arguably the most famous name associated with the iconic nameplate was that of Carroll Shelby.

While Shelby was responsible for turning the ‘Stang into one of the greatest driver’s cars ever built on U.S. soil, his collaboration with Ford, as well as the creation of the famed pony car, wouldn’t have been possible without Lee Iacocca.

Nearly half of century after the Mustang project commenced, the Blue Oval finally introduced a special edition dedicated to the man that made it all happen. But, before we take a look at what makes the 2009 Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition stand out from other S197 models, let’s take a moment and remember the legendary executive.

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on 15 October 1924, Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca went on to graduate with honors from Allentown High School in 1942, then earned a degree in industrial engineering from Lehigh University in neighboring Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the prestigious Princeton University followed in 1946, and shortly after that, he joined the Ford Motor Company.

2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition
Photo: Ford Motor Co.
However, engineering would quickly take a backseat in Iacocca’s career as he asked to be moved to the sales and marketing department. While working for the carmaker’s Philadelphia division as an assistant sales manager, he gained national recognition with his "56 for '56" campaign, which earned him a move to the Dearborn headquarters.

He quickly moved up through the ranks, becoming vice-president and general manager of the Ford Division in 1960. During the next ten years, Iacocca played a key role in the development of the Mustang and convinced Carroll Shelby to transform the pony car into a high-performance monster. He was also responsible for saving the nameplate during the Malaise era by switching to the compact, and more economical Pinto platform.

After leaving Ford in 1978, Iacocca helped resurrect Chrysler, which he presided over until his retirement in 1992. He passed away in 2019, three months before his 95th birthday, but fortunately, he got to see, own, and drive the anniversary edition Mustang built in his honor.

Based on a fifth-generation Mustang GT, the car was designed by Michael Leone with input from Iacocca himself. It was produced in 2009, to celebrate 45 years since the original Mustang’s debut.

2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition
Photo: Ford Motor Co.
What set it apart from all other S197 models was its exquisite, hand-built bodywork created by California-based coachbuilders Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters.

Each of the 45 limited-edition cars was put together by a team of talented artists, employing composite construction laminates typically used in aerospace design. The hand-crafted bodies, all finished in a unique paint called Iacocca Silver were fabricated using traditional tooling, but each part was separately cured in an autoclave for optimum strength.

At the front, the beautiful ‘Stang featured sunken headlights, a slanted grille, or a hood crest designed by Lee Ioccoca and custom-built, hand-finished, and polished by a distinguished jeweler.

The rear end was restyled to resemble the timeless fastback design of the first-generation Mustang, making this limited-edition the only fastback version of the S197.

Inside, most of the stock GT’s components were retained, yet several elements were unique to this special vehicle. These include the diamond pattern leather seats with embroidery stitching, an Iacocca-signed dash plaque, a distinctive steering wheel badge, or aluminum door sill plates with Iacocca lettering.

2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition
Photo: Bonhams
At the heart of the four-wheeled tribute was the GT’s naturally aspirated, 300-hp, 4.6-liter V8 linked to a five-speed manual. Thankfully, those who wanted more could get the optional Ford Racing supercharger that upped the output to 400 ponies.

In addition, the car was beefed up with the Ford Racing Handling Pack that added stiffer springs, re-valved shock absorbers, or front and rear anti-roll bars. The options list also included high-performance Brembo brakes with 14-inch (360 mm) rotors.

Sitting on bespoke cast aluminum and chrome-plated 19-inch wheels, the Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition was sold through select Galpin Ford dealerships for a base price of $89,950 ($118,955 today). Chassis no. 1 was auctioned off for $125,000, while no. 32, was given to Iacocca.

The car was occasionally driven by the former executive and in 2020, his family chose to sell it at Bonhams’ Scottsdale auction where it fetched a mere $49,280.

A fitting tribute to the father of Ford’s legendary nameplate, this limited-edition was the most elegant fifth-generation model and the only factory-backed, coachbuilt Mustang of the modern era.

In the YouTube video below by Andy Coyle, you can take a virtual tour of this amazing vehicle and see how it behaves on the road.

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About the author: Vlad Radu
Vlad Radu profile photo

Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times.
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