By Staff Reporter

The last time a new Ford Mustang had a March 1 badge on its fenders was back in 2004. The 2004 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was a throwback to the iconic Mustang that launched in the late 1960s. Recently, Ford revealed that the Ford Mustang March 1 will return in 2021 for a limited run bringing a tweaked 5.0-liter V8 engine under its striped hood. Ford is tapping into some nostalgia with the design. The graphics and stripes are very much a “throwback” to the original 1969 model, as are the round inlets in the grille.

Exterior Looks

The new Ford Mustang Mach 1 gets its own front clip with a new fascia, lower valence, and grille. The hood dawns the classic Mustang racing stripes with a modern touch. A modern set of the classic Mach 1 Magnum 500 five-spoke wheels are available, but a performance edition with optional wheels will be offered. The GT500 wing with Gurney flap will also be offered, along with a range of low-gloss badging, low-gloss Magnetic stripes, and orange Brembo brakes. The March 1 range has 10 different exterior colors available on choice.

The new Ford Mustang March 1 will not come with a Shaker scoop air intake on the hood this time around. Ford indicates that for this new model, a open airbox and trick inlets supply plenty of air to the engine. On the decision to not include a Shaker scoop on the hood, Mustang Chief Engineer Carl Wildmann said: “[w]hen you weigh the track desire for lift balance, putting a hood scoop on – and the minimal impact you’d get by running the air from there to the front corner – you get better air pulling from the front with an open air box. And you don’t get any of the downside from a lift perspective. For track performance, that was core to what we wanted to do. It was a decision early on.”

Interior

Inside the new Ford Mustang March 1, you will find a new splash screen for the instrument cluster, a Mach 1-specific shifter, new sill plates, and a plaque with the chassis number. The new Ford Mustang March 1 will have Recaro seats will be available as an interior option, but other interior specifications are unknown at this stage. Price and production numbers are also unknown, though Ford indicates that the Mustang Mach 1 will be relatively limited.

Engine and Performance

Ford envisions the Mustang Mach 1 as a bridge between the GT and Shelby models, something with a punchy engine and deft handling in the corners. The Mustang March 1 will be powered by a 5.0-liter V8 naturally aspirated engine that will produce 358kW of power and it will be paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. A new rev-matching Tremec six-speed manual will also be offered, built with gearing that matches the Shelby GT350. The suspension of the new Mustang March 1 has been upgraded, but the extent and details of the upgrade are still not known yet as Ford has not revealed these yet.

Full information on the Ford Mustang March 1 is expected to come closer to its sale date in North America, which is expected to be in spring of 2021 (mid-March). We will provide you with a further update you as soon as we get more information!