Manoli Katakis 
The Ford Mustang has 2020 in the rearview, and lays claim to being America’s best-selling sports car for the sixth straight year. Q4 2020 had a couple of noteworthy sales breakdowns, as well, with retail sales up 14.8 percent that quarter. Additionally, while the chapter has closed on the S550 Mustang Shelby GT350, Q4 retail sales of GT350 and Shelby GT500 increased 36 percent, with retail sales up 14 percent for the year. And with the start of a new year, the 2021 Ford Mustang family will make its way to dealerships soon.
In case you didn’t know, the 2021 model year brings more updates to the Ford Mustang lineup than just the mighty Mach 1. There are a few changes to note, all of which have been reported on by MC&T. Before today, dealer order guides were able to shine light on 2021 Ford Mustang options and content. In any case, here are some of the updates you can officially expect:
2021 Mustang Fastback
Standard 2021 Ford Mustang variants such as the EcoBoost and GT will see the addition of active rev matching software to their standard Tremec six-speed manual transmissions. Ford CoPilot 360 is also standard on all models now. New paint colors for the 2021 Ford Mustang include: Antimatter Blue Metallic (HX); Carbonized Gray Metallic (M7); Fighter Jet Gray (NE); and Grabber Yellow (CB). Deleted Colors include Dark Highland Green that was exclusive to the Mustang Bullitt, Grabber Lime, Kona Blue, and Magnetic.
One stipulation: the Mustang Mach 1 Handling Package can’t be ordered a la carte until March 1, 2021.
2021 Mustang Shelby GT500
Changes to the 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is highlighted by the new Carbon Fiber Handling Package. This new package will include 20-inch carbon fiber wheels that are painted black, new-for-2021 adjustable strut top mounts, a catch can, a Gurney flap in the rear, splitter wickers and a wheel locking kit. The package comes standard with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. The $10,000 Carbon Fiber Handling Package is meant to straddle the $1,500 Handling Package, and $18,500 Carbon Fiber Track Package.
Paint changes to the 2021 Mustang Shelby GT500 are similar to the rest of the lineup, except it’s unavailable in Fighter Jet Gray, which is a Mach 1 exclusive. The S550 GT500 also drops the Wimbledon White hue.
Pricing for the S550 Mustang Shelby GT500 starts at $74,095.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1
The limited-edition 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 price starts at $51,720, plus $1,195 destination and delivery charge. This effectively splits the difference between the outgoing Mustang Bullitt that stickered at $46,705 and the beloved Mustang Shelby GT350, which carried an MSRP of $59,140.
The first production 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 will also cross the auction block during the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event, along with the first production 2021 Ford Bronco SUV. It will be painted in Fighter Jet Gray, and feature the optional Handling Package. The Mach 1 is Ford’s attempt to bridge the gap between the now discontinued Mustang Bullitt and Shelby GT350, giving customers retro styling with serious track performance.
The first batch of S550 Mustang Mustang Mach 1 muscle cars left Flat Rock Assembly Plant earlier this month and are headed to dealers now.
The 2021 Ford Mustang build and price configurator is also live, as of right now.
