The Mach 1 Is Returning! Let’s Celebrate With a Look Back

By Adam Pockross - August 19, 2015

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If you’re a Mustang fan, odds are you consider 1969 to be a heckuva model year. In an effort to compete with the Camaro and Firebird, Ford offered six performance packages of the young pony car: the GT, Boss 302, Boss 429, Shelby GT350, Shelby GT500, and the Mach 1. While everyone has their favorite of the bunch, there can be no true argument about which performance Mustang has the best name: it’s gotta be the Mach 1.

I’m glad we can all agree on that. But the Mach 1 had a lot more than just a good name going for it when it was first introduced back in 1968 as a 1969 model year. It also had a unique “sportsroof” body style, a signature black hood and scoop, and plenty of powerful V-8 options. The name, the looks, the power: it all added up to a legend.

Though it may have been tarnished a bit by the time Ford put the steed out to pasture in 1978, the Mach 1 name still conjures up visions of glory. Yet they’ve only offered the performance package once since the ’70s, in the 2003-2004 New Edge. Until now, reportedly.

Along with news of a fairly significant mid-cycle refresh, AutoNews is also reporting that Ford is planning a Mach 1 variant of the new Mustang. So let the count down to blast off begin!

To celebrate such good news, we thought we’d give you a quick and dirty gallery of some sexy Mach 1s. So if you’re feeling nostalgic, please enjoy. And by all means, if you’ve got a Mach 1 to show off, please do us all a favor and post it up in the thread.