Muscle Car of the Week: Mustang Boss 302

I know a guy who had one of these. This was in the mid-seventies. He knew it was special even then. He babied it most of the time and occasionally he would prove that it could indeed do 0-60 in 6.9s. He did this when I least expected it. And let me tell you the Boss 302 could peel the skin off your face.

After a couple of years my friend sold the Boss 302 and got himself a Corvette Stingray. And not long after that he traded the Stingray in for kid friendly transportation. He never mentions the Stingray, but he keeps a picture of the Boss 302 tacked up in garage. We're looking for a muscle car restoration project for him to work on. He is dragging his feet a bit. I think he is holding out for The Boss.

And why not?

The Boss 302 isn't a pick your favorite year muscle car. It was a limited run monster. An instant myth. In 2007 a fully restored 1969 fetched north of 500k at auction. (Somewhere my friend is weeping.)

Designed by Larry Shinoda the car was given the name "Boss" because anytime someone asked Shinoda what he was working on he replied, "The boss' car." A nod to his inside joke. The Boss 302 engine was anything but a joke. A small block V-8 with large Cleveland heads the 302 clattered at perfect idle, almost as if it was annoyed to be sitting still. The listed horsepower was 290. Nonsense. Ford listed that for race purposes. We would love get a Boss 302 into the Brauns garage for a true dyno-run.

Car and Driver said, "The Boss 302 is a hell of an enthusiast's car. It's what the Shelby GT 350s and 500s should have been but weren't."