It takes a bit of doing in order to figure out which modern-day muscle cars are likely to hold their value reasonably well in the long-term, or even go up in value, as is the case with ultra-rare and/or borderline exotic machines.
Take something like the Ford GT for example, even though it’s a supercar and not a muscle car. Still, its MSRP went to the moon faster than Bitcoin and buying one today will cost you “in the millions,” as they say.
But that’s a rather obvious modern-day collectible, isn’t it? Let’s focus instead on something that may be more of a sneaky-good deal, even though it won’t cost you all that much to purchase today – and will likely not sell for a great deal more in the future.
Still, inflation is your friend, and if you keep it in storage, or just drive it on the weekends, you should be able to still fetch as much as you paid for it in a couple of decades’ time. Yes, we do have a particular car in mind, and it is this: the S197 Ford Mustang Boss 302.
As far as I’m concerned, it only has one major weakness. Ford made way too many of them, which means nobody’s going to get hit by a sudden case of FOMO whenever they see one. That being said, they are still pretty darn cool, and a low-mileage example should prove as desirable tomorrow as it is today, if not more so.
Now, this particular 2012 Boss 302 is currently a resident of the great state of Texas and it’s getting auctioned off with just 579 miles on its 5.0-liter V8 engine. Visually, it’s got a Competition Orange exterior with a black roof, black hood stripe, and black reverse-C side stripes with Boss 302 lettering. Additional highlights include the modified front fascia with the blacked-out grille and blocked-off fog light openings, custom front and rear spoilers, a rear diffuser, the quad exhausts, plus a set of black 19-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels with Brembo calipers and Pirelli P Zero tires.
We should note that the Boss 302 also comes with five-way adjustable dampers, bespoke front and rear coil springs, and a revised rear sway bar/bushings combo, unlike the regular Mustang GT on which it is based.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
The interior is equally noteworthy, with its adjustable Charcoal Black cloth front bucket seats, Boss 302 embroidery, branded floor mats, bespoke shifter knob, and Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel. It’s got sufficient comfort features too, like air conditioning and cruise control – you should be able to daily this car effortlessly, although I wouldn’t put too many miles on it.
As for that 5.0-liter V8, it’s got a forged rotating assembly, CNC ported cylinder heads, and revised camshafts, resulting in a peak power output of 444 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. It’s also got a strut tower brace spanning the width of the engine bay, and a plaque identifying this as vehicle #0627.
According to the window sticker, this car retailed for $40,145 back when it was new, and odds are you’ll be able to get it for less than that right now. Still, who’s willing to bet that it will once again be worth its full MSRP (maybe more) in a few years from now? This guy.
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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