Editor's Note: Thanks to RM Auctions for permitting Monterey Car Week to publish an amazing Boss 302 Mustang article and photos. This one will cross the block at the 2015 RM Sotheby's Monterey Sale.
Photo Credit: Eric English ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
Published in Monterey Car Week (Boss 302)
290 bhp, 302 cu. in. OHV V-8 engine, four-speed close-ratio manual transmission, heavy-duty front springs and performance shocks with rear leaf springs, staggered shock absorbers, and a rear stabilizer bar, and power front disc and rear drum brakes. Wheelbase: 108 in.
Boss 302
- Beautiful concours restoration
- Numerous desirable options; original colors
- Judged at 690 of 691 possible points in Mustang Club of America competition
- Documented by a Marti Report and its original dealer invoice
Ford’s performance machine, the Boss 302, was a direct competitor to Chevrolet’s Camaro Z/28, as it offered more performance on a reduced-weight chassis. It proved its worth on the track, winning the SCCA’s 1970 Trans-Am racing series, and it was quite popular in the showroom, as it offered customers a vehicle that was just as comfortable on the road as it was on the track. In a comparison test in their February 1970 issue, Car and Driver further praised the Boss’s street manners, stating that “it is quiet and exudes quality, very much like an expensive European GT car. The stiff suspension and high shock absorber control give it a very purposeful feel, and because the body doesn’t quiver or rattle when you hit a bump, the overall impression is most satisfying.”
The Boss 302 offered here was originally built at Metuchen, New Jersey, with its accompanying Marti Report noting that it is an authentic Boss 302, originally delivered in Bright Yellow with Black Rhino/Corinthian vinyl bucket seats, a four-speed close-ratio manual transmission, the optional 3.91 Traction-Lok rear axle, an AM radio, tinted glass in all windows, a rear deck spoiler, a tachometer, and Magnum 500 chrome wheels shod in belted radial white-letter tires. Ordered by the Central Canada Ordering District, the car was delivered through Heritage Ford Sales Ltd., of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. At some point early in its life, the engine block was replaced, obviously by Ford Service under warranty, as the replacement is dated January 1970.
In 2005, the car was fully restored to top Mustang Club of America standards and precise original specifications, aside from the addition of a correct “Shaker” hood, another very desirable option. It was formally judged by the MCA at 690 of 691 possible points and is accompanied by judging sheets verifying the same, as well as the Marti Report and original dealer invoice. The odometer presently records 46,791 miles; according to the owner, only a couple hundred of those miles have been traveled since restoration, and the car remains in excellent, concours-ready condition throughout and is well sorted to drive.
A beautifully restored Boss 302, “Ford’s Z/28,” this hot Mustang is surely one of the nicest examples available of this world-famous landmark model.
