The Ford Mustang Will Celebrate Turning 60 With a Special Edition and Good Wheels

Only 1,965 of these are going to be made, you know why.
Preproduction model shown. Available fall 2024. Ford

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The 2025 Ford Mustang marks 60 years of production for the faithful steed, and Ford is celebrating with the Mustang 60th Anniversary Package. Never mind the bland name for the birthday boy, car, whatever. To be fair, a 60th anniversary carries enough weight by virtue of the number that Ford can get away with it, as it celebrates its long-running flagship that debuted in 1964 for the 1965 model year.

The Ford Mustang was the brainchild of Lee Iacocca, who you may know better for his later legendary exploits, such as bringing Chrysler back from the brink of death. But before doing that, Iacocca wanted something to appeal to the youths while he was the head of Ford. So the Mustang was born, kickstarting the pony car segment. You’re welcome, Chevy and Dodge.

That was 60 years ago, and Ford is marking that occasion with a limited-edition release. Mustang senior designer Stefan Taylor says that the commemorative sports car’s styling “was directly inspired by the clean silhouette of the original car. During the design process, we looked closely at the finely detailed elements of the 1965 Mustang, like the fender badges and wheel center caps. Our focus was capturing the feel of the ‘65, while also staying true to the Mustang as the modern sports car that it is.”

Only 1,965 models will get the anniversary package, as a nod to the year of the first-generation Mustang. The package will be available on the 2025 Mustang, but only in GT Premium trim, which packs the 5.0-liter V8. Fans can get the package on coupe or convertible models, which come with both automatic and manual transmissions.

The 60th Anniversary Package is less a redesign so much as a few touches here and there, to call to mind Mustangs of yesteryear. The standout flourishes include fender badges in a loud red finish that read “GT 60 Years” and “5.0,” as well as side graphics inspired by the original Mustang’s rocker panel stripes. There’s a serialized plaque in the cabin of the Mustang, and silver mirror caps for models with Race Red and Vapor Blue paint that recall the OG chrome mirrors. Chrome, indeed, rules.

The custom 20-inch wheels are also excellent. In fact, this special-edition Mustang is further evidence that five-spoke wheels are the end-all, be-all of wheel design. From the Porsche Fuchs rim to the Mustang SVT Cobra’s alloys, five silver lines connected by a hub are as simple as they are sporty. The 60th Anniversary’s wheels strike as a modern interpretation of the classic, chunky design familiar to the first-gen ‘Stang.

Ford hasn’t disclosed how much the 60th Anniversary Package will cost, saying it will release pricing closer to the release date around late 2024. Mustang fans can place their orders starting this summer at their Ford dealers. But if the price ends up being too exorbitant, at least fans can get retro-inspired digital gauges for their new Mustangs, which are arriving via an over-the-air update to celebrate the model’s milestone birthday.

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