Gallery: The 100 Best Mustangs Of All Time

When Lee Iacocca conceived the Ford Mustang, he envisioned it as a more European, smaller sports car. Ford created a whole new breed of sporting car: the "pony" car. It was fun and stylish. And it was cheap--under $2,500--since most of its parts were sourced from other Fords. Ford was hoping to sell 100,000 a year. But as a sign of things to come, in less than three months the company had left that goal in the dust.

Ironically, the car that was originally envisioned as having a "Ferrari-like front end," being "heavy-looking like a Maserati," and "looking related to European design" ended up being one of the most iconic American automobiles of all time. Our country is largely a conglomeration of foreign ideas mixed together with our own unique brand of ingenuity. And that is what the Mustang, and its many, many special editions, has become.

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Year: 1974
Complex Says: It was, honestly, a terrible car. But it served its purpose. The Mustang II is what allowed the Mustang to survive to the present day. It may have been anathema to the Mustangs that came before it, but it was the right car at the right time.

Year: 1965
Complex Says: The name "Mustang" was already registered in Europe, so Ford just came up with something half-assed and called it the T-5 there instead. Everyone saw it for what it was and called it a Mustang.

Year: 1967
Complex Says: The Mustang GTA was a Mustang GT with an automatic transmission. While this in and of itself should exclude it from this list, there's no denying that many of today's great Mustangs wouldn't exist without the sales of auto-tranny 'stangs. Sorority girls have to drive something, right?

Year: 1966
Complex Says: Ford had managed to sell more than one million Mustangs by 1966, which was nothing short of miraculous. To celebrate, the company kitted out a special edition with a deluxe interior, gold paint, and a fancy name, selling 50 of them. Only five are known to still exist.

Year: 1970
Complex Says: Grabber Blue was a popular color in 1970. And the Grabber package featured a reflective side stripe like the one seen on the Boss 302. We just love that stripe.

Year: 1970
Complex Says: If Ford tried to offer a tornado-themed car as a Kansas-only special today, you know the company would get a ton a flack for it. We think Ford should go for it anyway.

Year: 1966
Complex Says: The Sprint 200 Special was designed to celebrate the first of many landmarks in the Mustang's long career. Despite the fact that the car had been on the market for only two years, Ford had already sold one million Mustangs. Two hundred referred to the 200ci I6 engine that rested within the car. The V6 was the only Mustang still selling below the original $2,500 target price, so it was being pushed heavily.

Year: 1966
Complex Says: The High Country Special set two precedents for the Mustang. It was the first of an endless supply of special editions that has led to today's customization options. And it was the first regional special. The High Country Special was available only in Colorado.

Year: 1979
Complex Says: The Ghia was built after Ford's acquisition of the Italian Ghia coachbuilder. This was intended to be a merger of an American icon and Italian sex appeal. Did it work?

Year: 1987
Complex Says: While McLaren contributed virtually nothing to the party except its name, ASC managed to make a slicker-looking Mustang drop-top. Rather than having the canvas exposed and flapping about when the top was down, it was concealed under a hard cover, just like the attractive Mercedes SL of the same time.

Year: 1980
Complex Says: Sadly, McLaren made only 10 examples of the M81 McLaren SVO. This wee beast featured a (for the time) powerful turbo four, a plethora of handling upgrades, and kick-ass styling and aerodynamics. We would love to see another Mustang-based McLaren/Ford mash-up. Who knows what sort of monster would result?

Year: 1969
Complex Says: Having a 1969 Mustang is cool, but having a 1969 Mustang Grande is also one of the finer things in life. The Grande was one of the earlier attempts to instill a bit of comfort and class into the otherwise rough Mustang. It worked too.

Year: 1982
Complex Says: The light and tossable Fox-body Mustang wasn't the most likely police ride, but it was one of the most awesome. Ford even used the following tagline to market it: "This Ford chases Porsches for a living."

Year: 1971
Complex Says: Shelby Mustangs may have been discontinued in the U.S., but a lucky 14 Europeans managed to get their hands on their very own Shelby Mustangs, called the Mustang Europa.

Year: 1979
Complex Says: The Mustang Cobra had existed for a while, but 1979 was the first time it was no longer a Mustang II. In '79, it added a visual kick to the Fox-bodied 'stang for those looking for it. We appreciate the endless customizing of Mustangs that continues to this day, and we have cars like the Cobra to thank for it.

Year: 1978
Complex Says: The Mustang II was crap. As a result, the Mustang King Cobra was crap too. It was just so crazy looking that we couldn't leave it off the list.

Year: 2002
Complex Says: Unique Performance was licensed by Shelby to create some GT500s based on "Eleanor" from Gone In 60 Seconds. While all of this sounds like a blast, Unique Performance was run by schmucks. The company was shut down for title washing, and many people still claim to have never received their $100,000-plus cars. The company was terrible, but the GT500E was a thing of beauty.

Year: 2010
Complex Says: The Terlingua is one of the few V6 'stangs on this list. With its race-prepped suspension, developed in conjunction with Ford Racing, and the supercharger-squeezing 375 horsepower out of that outdated old V6, it really does deserve it. It also holds the honor of being the only production car to feature an image of an evil rabbit named Lucifer.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: Steve Saleen doesn't have anything to do with Saleen Performance Vehicles anymore. But he is still pumping out killer 'stangs from his new company, SMS. The 302 is his classic, tuned Mustang. Without a supercharger, the 5.0 makes 440 horses. But with the supercharger, it makes a GT500-threatening 535.

Year: 1968
Complex Says: It's exactly what it sounds like. Mustangs in a color of the month. This is a move that we really can't see anyone doing these days, although it would be a fun marketing strategy.

Year: 1988
Complex Says: US Mustang said "happy 25th birthday" to the Mustang by letting buyers get some kick-ass gold stripes, four-wheel disk brakes (a nice touch in '88), a 3.71:1 traction-loc rear axle, and a few other tweaks added to their new 'stangs. Black and gold looked awesome.

Year: 1967
Complex Says: The '67 Mustang stallion has sweet Mercury Cougar taillights and some other trim to differentiate it from the more plebeian Mustangs. It was designed to fill the gap between the Mustang and the Cougar. Only eight of these awesome-looking ponies were ever made.

Year: 1979
Complex Says: Becoming the official Indy 500 Pace Car is what every little muscle car dreams of.

Year: 1984
Complex Says: In addition to the "GT350" tape stripe that was a hollow attempt to cash in on the Shelby GT350s of yore, the 20th Anniversary Mustang featured newly revised suspension and much improved handling.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: Damn, that's some buttery leather. It's not exclusive to California anymore, but the Cali Special is still a kick-ass trim package.

Year: 2004
Complex Says: Special colors, special trim, and a unique stripe celebrated 40 years of the Ford Mustang. One of these was even Ford's 300 millionth vehicle.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: 2008 was a good year for special edition Mustangs. There were tons of them, and most of them had real substance. You didn't just get a cool color, you got the Stinger's awesome side exhausts and billet wheels.

Year: 2003
Complex Says: When Ford celebrated its 100th anniversary in June of 2003, there were centennial editions of most of its cars, including the Mustang. The Centennial Edition Mustang got fancy Verona-grain leather seats and 100th anniversary badges. And you could have it in any color, as long as it was black.

Year: 1964.5
Complex Says: The Mustang had its American sporting image down pat, and was thusly crowned "Official Indy 500 Pace Car" in short order.

Year: 2006
Complex Says: It may not have been the ultra-powerful monster that is the GT500. But it was that car that brought the Shelby name back to America's favorite pony car. For that, we love it.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: Vaughn Gittin Jr. has brought glory to the Mustang in the Formula D championships. He's also brought his custom-made Mustang to market at the RTR. Go pick one up for some serious, sideways-sliding fun!

Year: 2008
Complex Says: It's a tuned Mustang, so it therefore has a supercharged V8 and some other welcome performance tweaks. The real kicker is the style. Some people love the side exhausts, louvers, and in-your-face ram-air, while others seem to think it's just plain ugly. It will draw stares.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: Ford, DUB Magazine, and Roush all worked together to make the 2011 Mustang DUB. What was once a Plain Jane Mustang V6 transformed into some sinister, all-carbon-fiber masterpiece.

Year: 1988
Complex Says: In 1988, Steeda took a Mustang GT and just started improving upon it. Steeda decided that the power was fine, making the car handle and stop better. To be precise, $5,500 better.

Year: 2010
Complex Says: The 2010 Hurst Mustang featured a custom Hurst supercharger, some over-the-top, silver-and-gold 20-inch wheels, chassis upgrades, and plenty of Hurst badging. Ridiculous, but cool on a track.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: Celebrating a car's heritage is always a good thing. When the Mustang is the car in question, a noteworthy part of the heritage is the fact that the Dearborn-born pony starred in the most iconic movie car chase scene of all time, thus the 2008 Bullitt.

Year: 1968
Complex Says: Police Interceptors are cool. They get to drive fast, they have flashy lights, and they have the word "Interceptor" affixed to the rear. However, they are still Crown Vics, which can only be so cool. The Shelby GT500 Police Interceptor sure deals with the cool factor nicely. Just imagine the arguments at the station about who gets to drive the Shelby today.

Year: 2006
Complex Says: Back in the day, Shelby made a special edition GT500 that served as a fleet cars for Hertz, thus becoming the coolest damn car to ever be rented. In order to drum up press for the return of the Shelby 'stang, they did it again, offering up the Shelby GT-H at Hertz locations around the country.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: The Saleen Racecraft was the budget-minded offering, when compared to the S302E Sterling offered in the same year. The Racecraft offered Saleen's performance upgrades without all of the cosmetic whatnot. The price was right, and the performance was too.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: What's so great about the 2011 Saleen S302 isn't just the few extra horses, or the nice handling upgrades, but the refinement of the interior. The interior is one of the Mustang's weak points, but Saleen's suede and leather seats, piano black center console, and numerous other fine bits of trim really make it stand out.

Year: 1997
Complex Says: Despite having the worst name of all time, it is a work of art. Steve Saleen even bothered painting the engine compartment, which isn't usually his style.

Year: 2003
Complex Says: In celebration of 20 years of awesome Mustangs, Saleen made 10 SA20 special editions. While these were powerful and precise in the bends like all Saleens, the worthiest aspect of the SA20 was the fit and finish. Saleen has a way of making the otherwise cheap Mustang interiors look good.

Year: 1998
Complex Says: By the time his 15th anniversary of Mustang tinkering had arrived, Saleen wasn't just tuning the handling of Mustangs anymore. He celebrated this by introducing a Roots-type supercharger on the SA15.

Year: 1994
Complex Says: The Saleen S351 was the car that many a Mustang lover thought Ford should have made in the first place. Saleen threw out the suspension, much of the interior, and the entire drivetrain, and put one kick-ass car in there instead.

Year: 1990
Complex Says: Few of these were made, but they were all wonderful supercharged performers.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: Red stripes on a black Shelby Mustang are nothing to complain about. This was not only a special edition Shelby, limited to just 100 examples, but it hearkened back to the regional specials of the '60s, as it was only available in Arizona. We look forward to these rare ponies showing up at the 2064 Barrett-Jackson auctions.

Year: 1969
Complex Says: Although the new Mustang was larger and heavier than the original body style, the 7.0L Carroll Shelby-tuned V8 still got the thing going fast...damn fast.

Year: 2007
Complex Says: The Saleen S302E was the first Saleen to feature the terrifying 620 horsepower engine. Rob Simons of Saleen said, quite simply, "This is the best motor we have ever done."

Year: 1966
Complex Says: Shelby, in what must have been a drug-induced haze, built a GT350 specifically for Hertz rental cars. Who knows how many of these sweet machines ended up wrapped around trees.

Year: 2003
Complex Says: Steeda's strategy has always been to "under promise, over deliver," and the Q400 was the same way. The 400 referred to the amount of horsepower the engine put out. Accounts vary, but some say their Steedas came pushing as many as 460 horses. What was so great about this car was that it was not only a tuner Mustang, but it was also comfortable and poised.

Year: 2003
Complex Says: Designed to slot between the GT and the SVT Cobra, the Mach 1 did fantastically, and was praised for the surprising amount of performance granted per dollar spent.

Year: 2005
Complex Says: The engines weren't anything to write home about, and the handling was primitive. But the styling created an absolute sales rush and injected some much-needed enthusiasm into the market.

Year: 2012
Complex Says: Roush Mustangs follow a simple formula: add horsepower via superchargers, upgrade handling to allow for survival, and garner profit.

Year: 2007
Complex Says: The Saleen S281's 300 horsepower was nice. But the H281-SC Heritage's 485 was nicer, as were the wheels and buttery leather seats. What can we say? We're a sucker for any car that makes an homage to its roots.

Year: 2009
Complex Says: The 620 horses of Saleen's top-tier engine and well-tuned handling characteristics of its top-tier offerings are never a bad thing. When combined with the ominous design of the Dark Horse and the superb fit and finish of Saleen's cosmetic work, it becomes clear that this beast really might be worth its $89,000 asking price.

Year: 2007
Complex Says: 2007 heralded the return of the GT500 nameplate. While Shelby probably could have gotten away with only minor tweaks to the GT and a spiffy body kit, that's not Ford's way. Shelby went all out and created a distinctive, powerfully supercharged Mustang that was both true to Shelby's heritage and totally modern.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: Here at Complex, we appreciate a good tribute to a brilliant racer. We especially appreciate it when it's packing 485 horsepower and riding on Pirelli PZero Corsas.

Year: 1969
Complex Says: 1969. That number conjures up images of muscle cars all by itself. In 1969, not only was there a new Mustang, but there was a new Shelby GT350 as well. As always, it mated spectacular performance with eye-catching looks.

Year: 1965
Complex Says: While driving the cigarette Mustang may not be the coolest thing in the world, the bold navy and while ciggy pack livery looks sweet.

Year: 1994
Complex Says: To celebrate his 10th anniversary tuning Mustangs, Steve Saleen made nine examples of the SA10. We can't really tell you anything about them though--since they were all different from one another--except for the fact that they all featured yellow stripes on black paint.

Year: 1996
Complex Says: The SVT Cobra wholeheartedly deserves its spot on this list all by itself, which is what makes the Saleen S281 Cobra so impressive. Saleen took an already awe-inspiring performer and simply made it better.

Year: 1994
Complex Says: Four hundred and eighty horsepower is a lot of power even today, and technology has moved on a bit since 1994. The Saleen SR offered that power sitting atop the fantastic Racecraft suspension.

Year: 1995
Complex Says: The GTS featured a HO 302cid V8, a Borg-Warner five-speed, and little else. Brilliant! Less luxury crap to lug around. This would have been Colin Chapman's Mustang.

Year: 2006
Complex Says: Steeda decided that 400-plus horsepower wasn't enough in 2003. So it produced a 'stang that made 500-plus in 2006. Yummy.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: In past years, the Shelby GT500 was cool and fast, but blunt. That big steel V8 out in front buggered the cornering...until 2011, that is. In 2011, the big iron in front got replaced with big aluminum. Suddenly, the GT500 was no longer balanced like Dolly Parton, and it became a true, well-rounded sports car.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: In 2011, Ford completed the Mustang revision that began the previous year. The 2010 Mustang was a brilliant machine that managed to handle extraordinarily well despite the archaic live rear axle. But it suffered from underwhelming, outdated engines. In 2011, Ford ushered in not only an extra 100 horses to both the V6 and the V8, but the return of the awesome "5.0" badge.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: Because the supercharged Shelby GT500 wasn't fast enough, Ford made the Super Snake. This monster made an impressive 605 horsepower and sprinted to 60 in only 3.5 seconds.

Year: 1968
Complex Says: The Mustang isn't just about performance. It's also an all-American style statement. The '68 California Special's designers understood this. That is why this 'stang could be had with just about any engine but always came with a variety of small style enhancements that significantly changed the overall look of the car. All of the accessories seen on the California are sold today. Judging by the looks on the average American road, Ford sells a lot of them, too.

Year: 1989
Complex Says: Saleen built the SSC to both celebrate his fifth anniversary of tuning Mustangs and to celebrate the Mustang's 25th anniversary. It was also the first time Saleen ever increased the horsepower over stock. Until the SSC, Saleen had worked exclusively on the handling of the 'stang. Trivia: Only one of them has a back seat.

Year: 1989
Complex Says: Every now and then, a lucky cop gets to cruise around in a Mustang, thus living out his buddy-cop movie fantasies. Rarer still is the cop who gets to cruise around in a Saleen Mustang, thus outdoing his buddy-cop movie fantasies.

Year: 2009
Complex Says: When a company puts the name of someone it has valued and respected on the badge of a performance car, it makes damn sure the car is something special. There's a reason the Ferrari California wasn't called Enzo, and the Enzo was. The Shelby Prudhomme Super Snake, named for Don Prudhomme, produced 750 horse on 93 octane, and more than 800 on racing fuel. All that power only cost $99,995...and a Shelby GT500.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: Six hundred and twenty horsepower and alcantara seats in a Mustang? Those aren't the only things about the S302E Sterling Edition that make this sound like something from Maserati--it also costs $99,995.

Year: 2010
Complex Says: Yes, it's a powerful drag racer and all that. The thing is that it's quite literally eclipsed by HOOD BULGE! Who cares about seeing out the front of your car when you know that the only thing in front of you is an empty runway?

Year: 1996
Complex Says: While the '95 SVT Cobra did have a 5.0, it was a rough engine that was far past its prime by the time the '96 came along. The 4.6L unit was more powerful, had better power delivery, and even gulped less fuel.

Year: 1968
Complex Says: If you say the words "car chase" or "classic Mustang" to someone, there's a high chance that this is what comes to mind. Not only was this car a serious performer for its day, but it was piloted up and down San Francisco in Bullitt by Steve McQueen. These days, Ford keeps naming special editions "Bullitt" to cash in on what is widely considered the greatest movie car chase ever.

Year: 1967
Complex Says: In 1967, it was just a normal Mustang. But in 2000, for Gone in 60 Seconds, Cinema Vehicle Services made this awesome-looking custom Mustang. Thirteen were made, with only one fashioned from a real Shelby GT500.

Year: 1968
Complex Says: Ford knew a piece of history when it saw Steve McQueen make it, capitalizing with a Bullitt special edition. Dead. Sexy. Two were made and one was destroyed in filming.

Year: 1995
Complex Says: The Mystic Saleen was rumored to have bound demons to its will and to possess the ability to fly on nights of the full moon. Just kidding. It is, however, the first car to wear Ford's Mystic paint color. These days it's rocking a 408 stroker that has been dynoed at 526 RWHP.

Year: 2009
Complex Says: Steve Saleen sure knows how to celebrate his 25th anniversary of making kick-ass Mustangs. He made one that not only looks distinctive and awesome (with its hood scoop and massive bank of LED tail lights), but also produces an awe-inspiring 720 horsepower.

Year: 1967
Complex Says: There's only one, and it made 520 horsepower in 1967. Are there any questions?

Year: 1984
Complex Says: In 1984, Steve Saleen finished tuning the 5.0 Mustang he bought from his sister. He opened a performance tuner in Petaluma, Calif., and made two more of these for the 1984 model year. Not only is this one of the rarest Mustangs of all time, but it was also the dawn of a legend.

Year: 2010
Complex Says: Eight hundred horses under the hood of a Mustang is no laughing matter. Luckily this insane beast has some serious suspension upgrades, as the idea of the thing is terrifying enough already. That much power running through a live rear axle. It's insane.

Year: 2000
Complex Says: For the year 2000, there was no SVT Cobra. There was a Cobra-R. It was massively underrated at 385 horsepower, since it had repeatedly beed dynoed to show nearly that number at the wheels. It also handles like no muscle car had before. The damn thing can pull more than a G on a skid pad.

Year: 2008
Complex Says: The Shelby GT500KR has been called "The King of the Road" for a reason. It's not just fast. It has a presence that demands respect.

Year: 1969
Complex Says: The Mach 1 was available with a plethora of engines, a nicely tuned suspension, a reasonable price tag, and the ability to blow the pants off of a lot of other cars... including the Mustang GT. The Mach 1 is often considered one of the reasons, along with the fuel crisis, that the Mustang GT badge had to wait until 1982 to show its face again.

Year: 1984
Complex Says: This was the tech Mustang. Ford was pretty ballsy to put a turbo-four in a Mustang. And while it was a total sales flop, in retrospect we recognize what we were missing out on. Brilliant little car.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: You can make fun of people who opt for a V6 Mustang as much as you want, but you have to admit that the 2011 is an impressive vehicle. It's more powerful than plenty of V8 'stangs from recent years. It's affordable, just like the original Mustang. And it returns a record-breaking 31mpg on the highway. It's not just fast in a straight line. The new V6 can carve a corner, too. You can really have your cake and eat it too with this one.

Year: 1971
Complex Says: It may have been in too large a car, but the Boss 351's competition spec engine still got the thing going...in a hurry.

Year: 1968
Complex Says: KR stands for "King of the Road." It really was. It didn't just have the speed of the GT500, but it had greatly enhanced handling characteristics as well. Plus, it looked like it would kill you if you looked the other way.

Year: 1965
Complex Says: The '66 fastback not only came with a new, powerful engine, but it just looked damn fast. Still does too. This look inspired a lot of what has made the Mustang so iconic throughout the years.

Year: 1993
Complex Says: The '93 SVT Cobra wasn't just a sweet, tuned Mustang--it was Ford SVT's inaugural vehicle. If it hadn't been for this car's success, we might have missed out on quite a few more fast Fords, from the 2003 SVT Cobra to the F-150 Raptor SVT.

Year: 1987
Complex Says: The "Fox" Mustang, known as such because it was built on Ford's "Fox" platform. The Fox followed the original Mustang's philosophy of cheap and fun to the proverbial "t." You can't help but love the "5.0" badges on the sides, too.

Year: 2011
Complex Says: The GT500 may have returned a few years ago, but the most iconic Shelby of all time is still the original GT350, and we all secretly wanted a resurrection of that name. The 2011 GT350 is the fastest production Shelby Mustang in history too, sporting carefully refined everything and putting out as many as 624 horses. As a bonus, it only comes in white with guardsman blue stripes, because you shouldn't want it in any other color.

Year: 2007
Complex Says: Not only was the Saleen/Parnelli Jones a great Mustang that hearkened back to the race-winning 1970 Boss 302, a great performer, and a nice handler, it had some great custom finishes. There were so many high-quality custom parts on this particular Mustang that it felt like something special, even when it was parked.

Year: 1970
Complex Says: This car was built to do one thing: destroy the Chevy Camaro Z28 on the SCCA Trans Am series. It did.

Year: 1970
Complex Says: Mustang plus race-ready V8 and suspension equals win. The Boss 429 set the pace for the high-performance models to follow, and we are surely thankful.

Year: 2003
Complex Says: It's called "The Terminator." That's because it set a new benchmark. This Mustang was not only capable of shooting down its competition in a straight line, but the well-sorted suspension (complete with the now-missing independent rear suspension) allowed it to be a fierce competitor on the track as well.

Year: 1965
Complex Says: Almost immediately after the introduction of the Mustang, Caroll Shelby started tinkering with it. Since then, magical things have happened whenever his hand has been involved. This was a race car with turn signals, and it kicked many an ass in production car races.

Year: 2012
Complex Says: The 2012 Boss 302 is a new breed of Mustang in many ways. Like the Boss 302 before it, it is a powerful machine. But this one is so much more. The 2012 Boss 302 is refined, smooth, precise, balanced, poised, and solid. If we took heritage and nostalgia out of the equation, this 'stang would be number one.

Year: 1964.5
Complex Says: Without this one, there wouldn't be any of these other 'stangs. The first Mustang was released five months before the start of the 1965 production year, leaving it in an unusual middle ground between '64 and '65. As such, this car is now known as the 1964.5 Mustang. The 1964.5 Mustang started the cheap, powerful, and cheerful party in the US. If only a new Mustang still cost just $2,300.