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2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 confirmed for Australia

The new 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is coming to Australia, as a limited run of 700 vehicles from next year.


Price is yet to be announced but the Ford Mustang Mach 1 is expected to be close to or in excess of $80,000, versus $73,688 plus on-roads for the previous limited edition out of the US, the Ford Mustang Bullitt.

Although the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is not supercharged, it has the same power as the Bullitt from its 5.0-litre V8 (345kW/556Nm), which has a 6kW bump over the standard Mustang V8.

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While the Ford Mustang Bullitt edition – 700 of which were sold locally in late 2018 and early 2019 – was available with a six-speed manual transmission only, the Ford Mustang Mach 1 is available with a choice of six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission in the US.

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 gains a unique grille, front bumper, wheels, spoilers and underbody aero panels, as well as sports suspension. Integrated into the Mach 1 engine are revised Shelby GT350 components including the intake manifold, oil filter adapter and engine oil cooler, increasing engine oil cooling capability by 50 per cent.

However, Ford is yet to reveal if Australian-delivered examples will get some or all of these extras.

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In the US, The Ford Mustang Mach 1 bridges the gap between the regular Mustang GT and the supercharged Shelby model, delivering “V8 power, unique functional aerodynamic enhancements, competition-capable suspension upgrades, and a driver-focused cockpit”.

In Australia the Mach 1 will fill the niche between the regular Ford Mustang V8 coupe and the supercharged Ford Mustang R-Spec.

Ford US says the Mach 1 sold there is “the most track-capable 5.0-litre Mustang ever, courtesy of a newly designed front end, plus Ford Performance parts from Mustang Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT500 models, and an available Handling Package for greater at-limit handling.”

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The Mustang Mach 1 badge was born more than 50 years ago, named after the first time an aircraft broke the sound barrier, or reached “Mach 1”.

“Achieving Mach 1 for the first time was a significant human feat,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, Ford Australia, in a media statement. 

“That spirit and determination to keep pushing, never settling and always trying to go further is what the Mach 1 Mustang was all about – and it’s fitting that we can bring Australian customers, who’ve made Mustang part of our motoring landscape, a 2021 Mustang Mach 1 of their very own.”

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Here’s hoping that Ford, too, mirrors that “spirit and determination” to “keep pushing, never settling and always trying to go further” by giving Australian enthusiasts the full-blown Mach 1 with the optional handling pack (white car, pictured above).

Meanwhile, Ford Australia has announced former Holden V8 Supercars driver Rick Kelly – who now races a Mustang – as the brand ambassador for the Mach 1 in Australia.

“It’s a stunning looking vehicle, but above all it really is a Mustang made for enthusiasts – it is all about how it drives around a track, which is why I’m so pleased to be working on this project with Ford,” said Rick Kelly in a media statement.

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“Racing a Mustang Supercar around tracks like Mount Panorama, where we’ll be this weekend, has been a highlight of 2020 for me, but Mach 1 is such a unique opportunity for fans and customers, so I am pumped for its arrival here next year.”

Since its arrival in Australia in 2015, the Ford Mustang has become the best-selling sports car in Australia, however it sales have been falling since hitting a peak in 2017.

Sales of the Ford Mustang muscle car have halved in three years and dropped by a third last year.

Limited edition models such as the Ford Mustang R Spec, Bullitt and Mach 1 are designed to reverse the sales slide as buyers come back for one more.

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Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

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