Ford has sold millions of Mustangs, so the ones that turn collectible are usually the oddballs. Instead, these six Ford Mustang specials began as regional packages, dress-up kits or cars for licensed racers. Today, production records and Hagerty’s valuation data show why collectors now chase them.
1. 1968 Ford Mustang GT/CS California Special
Ford sold the GT/CS through its California-region dealers and built every one at San Jose. Its look, though, came from a Shelby GT coupe prototype that never reached production. So it got a fiberglass ducktail trunk lid, side scoops and 1965 Thunderbird taillights, according to Mustangspecs.
Ford had agreed to build 5,500. In the end, it made 4,118, all coupes. Today, Hagerty’s past-sales records show one gold, 302-powered, four-speed car sold for $66,000. That same record also cites a comparable car at $55,000 at Barrett-Jackson Houston.
2. 1968 Ford Mustang High Country Special
Meanwhile, the High Country Special was the Colorado take on the same idea. The package ran from 1966 through 1968, and its success in Denver helped convince Ford to build the 1968 run, Mustangspecs reports. That year’s car shared the California Special’s Shelby-style scoops, Lucas fog lamps and fiberglass tail.
For 1968, though, Ford built only 251, by the site’s table. That makes it far scarcer than its California sibling. As a result, the site says the package “has really picked up in popularity amongst collectors” and calls the cars “quite coveted today.”
3. 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351
The Boss 351 lasted a single model year. Its R-code 351 used Cleveland heads, 11.7:1 compression, forged-aluminum pistons and four-bolt mains, and Ford rated it at 330 hp, Mustangspecs reports. Even so, base price was just $4,124. Critics at the time disliked the sloping rear pillars, which left big blind spots.
Ford built only 1,806, and the site calls the car “highly sought after” because of that scarcity. Meanwhile, a Bright Blue Metallic example showing 38,165 miles sold for $55,000, according to Hagerty’s past-sales records.
4. 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra
The King Cobra arrived in 1978, the last year of the Mustang II, as a V8-only package. Outside, it wore a huge snake decal on the hood, a rear-facing 5.0 scoop and a front air dam. Ford built 4,313, says Mustangspecs, out of a generation that Hagerty puts at about 1.1 million cars.
In fact, Hagerty calls it “the most collectible” Mustang II and says prices for nice examples have been rising. Its 302 V8 made 139 hp by Mustangspecs’ figures, so the appeal is the look and the rarity. As a result, Hagerty’s 2026 valuation guide puts a good-condition car at about $22,900.
5. 1979 Ford Mustang Indy Pace Car
In 1979, the new Mustang paced the Indianapolis 500, and Ford sold a replica to mark it. The replica also wore silver-and-black paint with pinstripes and decals, plus a cowl-induction hood and a spoiler. Hagerty says Ford sold 10,478 “out of nearly 370,000, making it the rarest Pony from 1979.”
Values remain modest, however. For example, Hagerty’s guide puts a good-condition car at around $13,800. Its listing for the 302 version rates that V8 at 140 hp. So this one is less a surprise windfall than the scarcest Mustang of its year.
6. 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
To buy a 1993 Cobra R, you needed an active racing license. Ford meant that rule to keep the cars out of collectors’ garages, and it sold them with no warranty, Mustangspecs reports. Also, every one was Vibrant Red. The sticker was $25,692, against $21,578 for a regular Cobra.
That plan did not hold up over time. Hagerty now lists an average #2-condition value of $93,900 and notes that “just 107 were built.” By that measure, the license-only Cobra R now leads every Fox-body Mustang in Hagerty’s ranking.
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