Manoli Katakis 
Last summer, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was revealed, and nobody seemed to complain about the way it looked. And yet, the Mustang design team found ways to improve the exterior looks of the fastest Coyote-powered production Mustang the world has ever seen. Today, Ford revealed a few key details – and we mean details – of the subtle design changes the S550 Mustang Mach 1 underwent just as customers begin to receive their long-awaited muscle car.
“With any program, you want everything to be perfect, but when you’re bringing back a classic like Mach 1, it is imperative,” according to Anthony Colard, Mach 1 senior advanced designer. “This team just kept pushing and pushing for perfection.”
Here are a few finishing touches:
Badging: the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 nameplate was updated with a silver border that pops out against darker colors.
Lower Grille: the lower grille darkens from Magnetic Gray to low gloss black for a more sinister look, which contrasts better with brighter colors, as well.
Fender Striping: the S550 Ford Mustang Mach 1 sees a slight touch-up on the overall front shape for the front edge of the fender stripe. Ford says it was tweaked to improve quality and production processing.
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 returns after a 17-year absence to signal a new pinnacle of 5.0 liter V8 pony car performance. Hopefully this isn’t code for “the finale of 5.0L Coyote V8 performance.” Although, judging by very stern yet perhaps misguided government policies, it very well could be.
The very first production S550 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is heading to charity auction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale alongside a 2021 Ford Bronco SUV. The collectable pony will be painted in a Mach 1-exclusive Fighter Jet Gray, and will also feature the optional Handling Package. The Mach 1 is a means to bridge the gap between the now discontinued Mustang Bullitt and Shelby GT350, giving customers retro styling with serious track performance.
The 2021 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.
As MC&T first confirmed, the S550 Ford Mustang Mach 1 will be sold in global Mustang markets where the Shelby GT350 and GT500 were/are not permitted, such as the European Union. Nevertheless, production volume remains a closely guarded secret, as Mustang Marketing Manager Jim Owens told us that the new muscle car “won’t be built to demand”. The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 price is unknown for other markets at the time of this writing.
