The Forbidden Fruit – Boss 302

The Forbidden Fruit – Boss 302

Obviously, a list of the best cars the UK missed out on had to feature an early Mustang. We didn’t get right-hand drive, S550-generation cars until almost 50 years after the original launch, so there were plenty not offered here. Yes, we did get the Capri (and everyone loves a Capri), but some of them were great, which is why such a selection of classics reside on PH – if the car is good enough, people will find a way.

Anyway, this is the Mustang that really tickles our pickle today. It’s a Boss 302, and which overgrown child hasn’t wanted to drive a car called a Ford Mustang Boss 302? It was a homologation special, muscle-car style, built for just two years to make the racer eligible for Trans-Am. The Mustang wasn’t as fast as a Camaro, so in went a new small-block V8 (hence the name, with 302 cubic inches under there) as well as chassis tweaks to improve performance for the road car and track version. In 1970, a Boss 302 won the SCCA Trans-Am championship – job jobbed.

Imagine this in the UK 50 years ago, loud and proud and powerful as hell. If the Boss looks even better than expected that’s because this is a concours-winning example, subject to a four-year restoration and seldom driven since. Its engine has been rebuilt and the engine has been dynoed. There’s ‘four on the floor’, too, for those wanting to play Trans-Am racer in the UK. This particular one will set you back almost £100,000, which goes to show just how much the very best Mustangs can now command. And they’ll surely get no better than this.