A SMOKING COLT 45

The 45TH Anniversary Iacocca Mustang By Harvey Schwartz In celebration of the 45th anniversary of Ford’s introduction of the first Ford Mustang on April 17th at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York by Lee Iacocca, then President of Ford Motor Company, 45 hand built examples of America’s favorite ponycar were issued to to honor the father of the Mustang, Lee Iacocca. The original Mustang was dubbed as a 1964-1/2 model because it arrived at dealers so late in the model year. Fittingly, the Iacocca Silver Anniversary Mustang is dubbed a 2009-1/2 model. “It’s a trip down memory lane,” say Iacocca. “A little bit of nostalgia.” The limited-edition Iacocca Mustang is a collaborative effort between the man himself, Lee Iacocca, designer Michael Leone, the Garffoglio family from Metalcrafters, and Galpin Ford, the top-selling Ford dealership in the world.

If the Garffoglio family doesn’t sound familiar, they are the Southern California based Argentines that specializes in building concept cars for many of the top automotive manufacturers. The Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang is a breathtaking vehicle with a style and panache that screams Mustang fastback. The car is painted in a special shade of grey, known as ‘Iacocca’ silver. In person, the Iacocca Silver Edition Mustang is stunning. The body has been beefed up and smoothed over to create the kind of strikingly bold appearance that you can only get with hand crafted metal work. The car seems longer, wider and lower than the factory 2009 GT upon which it is based.

The lines flow organically from front to rear. With its low stance, sunken headlamps, slanted grille opening, deep fastback slope that reaches to the rear of the car, and integrated rear dual quad exhaust; the car has street attitude. You’ll also see the Iacocca hood badge, an ‘I’ badge on the rear trunk cap, and to the right ‘IACOCCA’ lettering. “Once in a while a car comes along that changes everything, and that was the original Mustang,” says Lee. The Silver Edition Mustang was commissioned to honor that moment. The car began life on a 2009 Mustang platform, which was then modified and coach built by a team of Metalcrafters’ specialists using composite construction laminates, a reinforced material that is primarily used in the design by the aerospace industry. The builders say it is stronger than the sheet metal body panel factory Mustang GT. While the exterior fastback design of the Iacocca Silver Mustang is compelling, the mechanical underpinnings are tried and true American muscle.

Two powerplants are offered: a 4.6 liter V8 with a cold air intake system rated at 320 horsepower comes standard, while a Whipple supercharger that makes 400 horsepower is optional. Both engines are covered by a factory Ford warranty. Drivers will harness the power through a quick-shifting five-speed manual transmission. Also fitted is a Ford Racing handling package that adds firmer springs and re-valved shock absorbers that lowers the car and enhances its cornering ability. A 14-inch Ford Racing Brake Package with four-piston Brembo calipers up front is optional for added stopping power and control. The car rides on five-spoke, 20X91/2 Iacocca Design chrome wheels, front and rear. They are wrapped with Goodyear 245/45R20 RSA performance tires for added grip and traction. It is also Ford factory warranted.

Inside the Iacocca Silver Mustang the interior is resplendent with luxurious touches that highlight the car’s heritage, including Iacocca Diamond Design leather seats and footwells with the seat backs having embroidery stitching on the headrests that mimics the hood badge, an Iacocca signature dash plaque with serial number, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with ‘I’ badge, and IACOCCA-badged aluminum door sill plates. Open the hood and you see another plaque to authenticate that this is one of only 45 Iacocca Silver Anniversary Mustang’s with matching serial number. Galpin Ford comes into the picture as the end seller of the car, and their Galpin Auto Sports division installs the cold air intake system, supercharger, Brembo brakes and suspension upgrades.

Prices start at $89,950 for the 45th Anniversary Iacocca Mustang. Customers ordering the cars have come from locations as far away as Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Europe and South America. The Ford Mustang is driven, collected and loved around the world, so if you want to be the owner of this one-off special edition Mustang from the man who is responsible for its creation, get in touch with Galpin Ford in Van Nuys, California. © Words supra and pictures by Harvey Schwartz

SIDEBAR COMMENT $89,950 is a pretty steep price for a Mustang, particularly one based on the previous generation model. For that price, you can pick up a Shelby GT500 and a 2011 Mustang GT with the 5.0 motor. On the other hand, the Iacocca model is for the collector looking for exclusivity—neither of which you’ll get with the aforementioned GT or Shelby. With only 45 units—custom made via the collaboration of Lee Iacocca, designer Michael Leone, and the Garffoglio family from Metalcrafters—the Iacocca model does assure exclusivity, not to mention collector status. – Roy Nakano For more information about Galpin Ford, go to galpinford.com