Five Future Classic Mustangs Worth Buying Now
Looking for a “driveable investment” that’s cheap to buy and fun to own? Here are five of our picks for future collectibles you can enjoy right now.
The collector car market for Mustangs is red hot, but you don’t have to play with the big boys to have fun. Today, we’re going to show you five limited-edition Mustangs that can be had for barely five figures.
All five are part of the SN95 generation and its New Edge restyle, running from 1994 through 2004. They’re the last of the Fox platform Mustangs, and right now, they represent a great bargain. If you’re looking for fun on a budget, you simply can’t beat an SN95 or New Edge car.
They’re new enough to be fun and useful for everyday use, with most of the modern conveniences you’d want in a daily driver. However, these cars are still special enough that, given the right care and attention, will likely appreciate in value with time.
1995 Ford Mustang GTS — 6,370 produced
The Mustang GTS was an attempt at recapturing some of the magic of the LX 5.0 notchback. It was stripped down, lighter, and devoid of almost anything that didn’t make it faster. Inside and out, it was equipped like a base V6 car, only with the GT’s drivetrain, suspension, and brakes.
All of those missing extras were available as options. However, the true spirit of the GTS was to be ordered with the bare minimum of equipment — high speed, low drag. What makes the GTS even more special is the fact that 1995 was the last year for the legendary Windsor 5.0 liter V8.
While the GTS was a one-year wonder, it legacy lived on. The GTS returned for 1996 as the 248A package, with the two-valve 4.6 liter Modular V8 replacing the 5.0.
2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt — 5,582 produced
In 2001, Ford built its first official tribute to the most iconic Mustang movie car chase of all time. Mechanically, upgrades like a cast-aluminum intake, twin 57mm throttle bodies, and a freer-flowing exhaust accounted for a five horsepower bump over the standard GT. A slightly lowered stance improved handling while contributing to a more aggressive overall look.
The Bullitt was peppered with retro touches inside and out, from the aluminum fuel door to the gauge cluster. The 2001 Bullitt featured unique quarter panels with an elegant stamped section replacing the faux scoops of V6 and GT models. The sail panels featured a more prominent “Hofmeister kink” reminiscent of the earlier ’94-’98 style.
Of course, the lasting legacy of the 2001 Bullitt is the anthracite finish five-spoke wheels, which have enjoyed an enduring popularity as an aftermarket upgrade for Mustangs of all generations. Believe it or not, the 2001 Bullitt was available in three colors — Dark Highland Green, True Blue, and black.
1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra — 2,000 produced
In 1996, Ford partnered with BASF to offer the world’s first color-shifting paint on a production car. Offered only on the SVT Cobra, Mystic Clearcoat Metallic used state-of-the-art micro-prism technology to alter the appearance of color depending on light and viewing angle.
A Mystic can appear as green, purple, gold, or even a root beer brown in some light. It’s also possible to catch just a hint of blue. Just 2,000 Cobras were produced this way, and if you’re looking to repaint any part of yours, legend has it that BASF will check your Mustang’s VIN against their database to verify that your car is a true Mystic Cobra.
Even then, they’ll only send you what you need. That’s for the best — as you might imagine, Mystic paint is incredibly expensive. Be sure that the Mystic you’re buying has good paint — otherwise, your bargain collectible could turn into an expensive trap very quickly.
2003-2004 Ford Mustang Mach 1 — 14,364 produced
When you’re talking about 2003 and 2004 Mustangs, most of the attention goes to the Terminator Cobras. However, there was something else to be excited about — the long-awaited return of the Mach 1.
Performance-wise, the Mach 1 slotted nicely between the GT and the SVT Cobra. Like the 2001 Bullitt, the Mach 1 featured tons of cool retro touches both inside and out. Our favorites would have to be the modern interpretation of the classic Magnum 500 wheels and the functional shaker hood scoop.
That scoop fed air into the four-valve 4.6 liter Modular V8, good for 305 horsepower. The Mach 1 was offered for two years in a handful of colors — and like their Cobra counterparts, Competition Orange and Screaming Yellow are among the most desirable.
1996 Ford Mustang GT Bright Tangerine — 829 produced
The last car on our list isn’t a special edition per se, but its rarity ensures its status as a future collectible. As ’94-’98 SN95 Mustang colors go, this one-year-only color is the rarest.
Bright Tangerine was only available on Mustang GT coupes and convertibles, and just 829 were produced in total. That makes it even rarer than the 1996 Mystic Cobra.
While the prices for Competition Orange 2004 SVT Cobras and Mach 1s are already rising, the Mustang community seems to be sleeping on Bright Tangerine. They’re still a great buy — if you can find one.
So there you have it — our picks for five Mustangs you can buy, enjoy, and appreciate as collectibles in the years to come. We were able to find all of these for sale for under ten grand — but if you can stretch your budget to $15,000, you’ll find some of the best examples of each.
Just don’t wait too long — they won’t be this cheap forever! Do you own any of the Mustangs on this list? Start a thread and show them off in our forums!
Photos: Cam VanDerHorst/RM Sotheby’s/Ford Performance/The Mustang Source
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