15 rare Ford Mustangs found in the wild across America
Published on Jul 04, 2025 at 12:35 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jul 04, 2025 at 5:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Meet the Ford Mustangs that are considered unicorns in their home country of America – rare, unexpected, and downright jaw‑dropping.
From barn finds to roadside legends, California prototypes to secret AWD experiments, these Mustangs defy odds – and logic.
We hit America’s open roads and forgotten barns to track down 15 truly wild muscle cars.
Buckle up, whether you’re a gearhead or a history buff – this muscle car ride is about to get rare.
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1. Ford Mustangs of America: 1965 Shelby GT350R
Only around 34 of these limited-edition, race‑ready GT350R were ever made.
Examples of the true Cobra‑engineered unicorn occasionally surface in barns across the Midwest.
2. 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake
With only one original built, this firecracker has a 427 V8 engine and mind-blowing story arcs.
It’s thought to currently reside in an obscure private collection.
3. 1968 Shelby EXP500 ‘Green Hornet’
Another one‑off, this EXP‑500 prototype features experimental tech.
Bizarrely – and to the finder’s delight, it was discovered in a Weatherford, Texas field.
4. Ford Mustangs of America: 1970 Mach 1 Twister Special
Just 96 Kansas-market Mach 1s with its signature tornado graphic were ever made.
It’s suspected that a few highly sought-after examples still hide in rural garages.
5. 1969 Boss 429 Mustang
With 1,359 built, this is a big-block legend.
Keep your eyes peeled if you’re a fan. One is occasionally spotted in restored‑to‑barn condition.
6. 1968 Shelby GT500 ‘Little Red’ AKA California Special prototyp
This unique prototype was found rotting in a Texas field back in 2018.
It’s a true Ford‑Shelby heritage marvel.
7. 1964 World’s Fair Skyway Mustang
Becoming increasingly rare over time, while only 12 were made, only two remain.
They are occasionally spotted (separately) at collectors’ shows.
8. Ford Mustangs of America: 2011 Shelby 1000
The supercharged finale from Carroll Shelby, only 23 examples were ever built from 2011 to 2014.
The very limited edition packs 1,000HP and is a high-performance variant of the Ford Mustang built by Shelby American from 1965 to 1967 and by Ford from 1968 to 1970.
9. 1993 SVT Cobra R
107 of these race-focused units were built and are rumored to still quietly lurk in private garages.
It was stripped of amenities like a radio, air conditioning, and rear seat to save weight and featured a unique rear wing, a slimmed rear bumper, and a specific Cobra rear spoiler for improved aerodynamics.
10. 2009 Iacocca 45th Anniversary Mustang
Just 45 of these limited-edition silver supercharged gems were built to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Ford Mustang.
Each featuring unique design elements and a connection to Lee Iacocca, the visionary behind the original Mustang, they are occasionally spotted cruising coast‑to‑coast.
11. Ford Mustangs of America: 1965 Mustang Ferguson AWD
In 1965, a few Ford Mustangs were converted to all-wheel drive by Harry Ferguson Research as a demonstration of their FF system.
Equipped with a planetary center differential and a driveshaft for each axle, but mass production never happened, and while two prototypes were shipped to the UK, one is reportedly hidden in an Arizona barn.
12. 1977 Mustang II convertible – Atlas Orange
One of 25 ever produced, one example has been spotted rolling past unsuspecting roadside diners.
This model year marked the end of the Mustang II convertible production run, and the Atlas Orange color was even more exclusive, making it a unique and sought-after collector’s item.
13. 1967 Ford Mustang Stallion
Eight dealer-modified Can‑Am style Stallions were built in Toronto, and a couple can still be found in US border barns.
The limited-edition, high-performance Mustang was created by Mainway Ford, a Canadian dealership in Toronto, and designed to be a more exclusive and stylish version of the Mustang.
14. Fox‑body ’41X’ racing Mustang
Only around 1,500 of these low‑option, drag-ready Fox‑body cars were made, with some still tucked away in farm sheds.
The ‘Fox-body’ refers to a special order option that produced the lightest, most stripped-down version of the 1989 Mustang coupe or hatchback.
15. Ford Mustangs of America: Barn-find quartet from Mooresville, NC
An A‑Code, K‑Code, M‑Code, and a legendary R‑Code Super Cobra Jet were uncovered in a North Carolina barn.
The muscle cars have been sitting in the ‘race capital of the US’ there since the early 1990s and discovered by the guys from the Backyard Barn Finds.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
