Lucas Bell 
When it comes to the love of V8 engines, the folks who live in Australia may be the only ones able to rival the United States. The continent has its own long history with muscle cars, consisting of battles raged between Ford and Holden. With both automakers no longer producing cars in the country however, people began to wonder if this was the end of the Aussie performance. Ford might not be coming back, but they’ve announced that the Mustang Mach 1 will be heading to the land Down Under.
The announcement from the Ford Motor Company came on October 14, which was the 73rd Anniversary of Chuck Yeager’s historic Mach 1 flight. That event would of course go on to inspire the original 1969 Mustang Mach 1, and the car we now see today. The Mach 1 represents the very best of what the 5.0L powered pony car can do, and comes equipped with 480 horsepower and 420 ft-lb of torque. Other tweaks include a sports suspension, upgraded aerodynamics and fascias, as well as some tweaked engine components borrowed from the Shelby GT350.
While the Mustang Mach 1 looks like it will be a real performer, not too many Australian buyers will be able to get their hands on one. In fact, Ford has confirmed that just 700 of the muscle cars will make their way over to the continent. This matches the production cap that Ford placed on the outgoing Bullitt models that sold in Australia from late 2018 through early 2019. Plans to limit the production figures for the Mach 1 have already been established in the United States as well, but there’s no need to fret stateside. Ford plans on the new Mustang variant on being a good seller, but they also want to protect the future value of their car.
The 2021 Mustang Mach 1 will join the rest of the Mustang lineup in being the first RHD Ford built in a North American factory, which is pretty cool in itself. Ford says that they will announce specifications and pricing for the Australian market Mustang Mach 1 as that production date gets nearer. All we really know right now is that two-time Bathurst winner and former Supercars champion Rick Kelly is the car’s ambassador. Not a bad choice if you ask us.
