Classic Recreations ‘Villain’ Mustang: a Wolf in Wolf’s Clothing

Want a Mustang with classic muscle car looks and modern performance? Don’t miss the Classic Recreations Villian.

Born in an age with few limits, the Ford Mustang represented the very best of ’60s automotive innovation, highlighting the average American’s love affair with the open road. Sixty years later, the Ford Mustang has endured the test of time, holding its place as a symbol of coolness. Park a modern Mustang next to a 1968Fastback, however, and aside from a few shared design influences, the cars are poles apart. Furthermore, driving a 1968 Mustang can be a harrowing affair. With a three-speed manual transmission, a carbureted V8, and aging suspension components, driving a stock classic pony car takes a certain amount of patience and compromise.

Enter Jason Engel and Classic Recreations. Dedicated to building Shelby-licensed recreations that are faithful to the original car, with a nice helping of modern engineering, Engel and his team gained notoriety building the iconic 1967 Shelby GT500 “Eleanor” for the film, Gone in Sixty Seconds. Then there’s the fact that Carroll Shelby, before his passing, personally approved Classic Recreations’ line of Shelby Mustangs.

1968 Mustang Fastback: Villain

Classic Recreations decided to create its own design of the ultimate 1968 Mustang Fastback, one that would appeal to a variety of enthusiasts, both young and old, with the perfect mix of classic style and modern technology. Its creation is called the Villain, and it is a formidable machine. There are no half-measures; every single detail, every angle has been thoughtfully considered.

Beginning with the body, the sloping roofline instantly reminds enthusiasts of the iconic 1968 Fastback. (Each Villain starts with an actual 1968 Mustang Fastback bodyshell.) Subtle touches elevate the Villain from a 1960s production-line pony car to a truly bespoke machine. There are no hard edges, no exposed rivets, and certainly no overfenders. Instead, 3D molded composite body panels, accentuated by carbon fiber trim, highlight the Mustang’s timeless lines. They also improve aerodynamics and reduced weight.

Inside, leather high-back seats pair with five point-harnesses. A Sparco leather steering wheel and a white, six-speed H-pattern shift knob provide a quick visual throwback to the Mustang’s roots. A modern Old Air climate control system keeps things cool while a Bluetooth-equipped JVC head unit paired with Kicker speakers and subwoofer ensures that occupants can enjoy their own music. You know, if they aren’t enjoying the Villain’s V8 engine soundtrack through the MagnaFlow exhaust.

Villain Power

Speaking of which, under the hood, you’ll find a twin-cam, fuel-injected Ford Racing 302 Coyote crate motor putting down 475 horsepower. Or you can opt for the supercharger package and bump that number up to 770 ponies. A Tremec six-speed transmission and a Centerforce DYAD twin-disc clutch manage that power and torque.

The 1968 Mustang came with rear leaf spring suspension, which simply doesn’t provide the modern sports car-like handling that Engel wanted. That’s why he and his team have replaced the front and rear subframes to accommodate the new Detroit Speed aluminum subframes with modern coilover suspension on all four corners. There’s also a Quadralink 4-link system in the rear to help keep all those horses down. Combined with a modern rack and pinion power steering system, Classic Recreations claims the Villain will be comfortable and easy to enjoy, even on city streets.

The final part of the power and handling package is a set of beefy Wilwood brakes. Massive six-piston calipers grip slotted and cross-drilled 14-inch rotors at all four corners, hopefully keeping drivers out of trouble.

Classic Recreations Villain Specs

• Price: Starting at $154,900
• Colors: Bad Guy Orange/Matte Black, Black/Bad Guy Orange, Blue/Silver, Red/Matte Black
• Engine: Ford Racing Coyote 32 Valve (475hp)
• Transmission: Tremec six-speed manual transmission
• Rear End: 9” Strange Engineering rear w/ 3.89 gear ratio and Posi Traction installed
• Steering: DSE Rack and pinion steering (power) Flaming River tilt column (polished)
• Interior: Procar Evolution seats (pro touring), Five-point Camlock seatbelts, custom gages, 200mph Speedometer, Sparco leather steering wheel, Old Air Products A/C system, Deluxe 1967 Door Panels (finished in matte black), 1967 ABS Dash and Trim, custom console with clock and voltmeter, color-matched floor mats
• Audio system: JVC CD Player with removable face and Bluetooth & Kicker component speakers
• Wheels: Grip equipped wheels by Forgeline (18×9.5 front, 18×12 rear)
• Tires: BF Goodrich tires (275/35/18 front, 335/30/18 rear)

While it’s easy to wax nostalgic about the 1960s, an entire generation of enthusiasts wasn’t around to experience it. Classic Recreations is essentially building a 1968 Mustang imagined through a younger enthusiast’s eyes. They’re also eliminating all of the downsides that come from sixty-year-old engineering while still preserving the visceral driving experience of a classic car.

They claim the CR Villain is comfortable and compliant, so a grocery run doesn’t have to include a trip to the chiropractor. It’s versatile so that long road trips are as pleasurable as a day at the track. It has air-conditioning and a modern stereo system so that every drive doesn’t become a chore. Yet no one will ever mistake it for being a new car, simply because it still has those classic Fastback lines, as illustrated by the accompanying photographs of the first production Classic Recreations Villain.

Photos: Kahn Media / Classic Recreations

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