5 facts fans need to know about John Wick's iconic 1969 Ford Mustang

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Cars have held a place in pop culture since they rolled out of the craft sheds and off the assembly line. Or fictional like the Batmobile or real mechanical works of art like James Bond’s Aston MartinsHollywood’s cars have built a career as legendary and enduring as any movie buff.

Some movie cars appear and disappear in a single scene, relegated to rapid destruction in an explosion leaving car fans to wonder (and hope) that CGI was responsible for its demise, or at least that the producer blew up a replica, and not the genuine article . Others achieve glory as the star of a single, thrilling chase scene before leaving stage left, never to be seen again. But some are so integral to the plot that they simply become icons for the series of events happening around them.

The Wick universe is filled with great muscle carsbut John Wick’s Mustang is king. It’s one of those rare cars that doesn’t get much screen time, but still drives the entire plot of the movie (or three or four movies). You can protest and say it wasn’t the car that sent John Wick on his path of revenge – it was the puppy! There’s an argument for that, but Wick’s sweet, stylish Mustang caught the bad guys’ attention in the first place and set off a chain of events that would define the entire series. In honor of the car that may be responsible for the highest number of deaths in cinematic history, we pay tribute to John Wick’s iconic 1969 Ford Mustanga vehicle that has transcended its role as a mere prop and become a symbol of the franchise’s enduring appeal.

John Wick’s Mustang is intended to be a 1969 Boss 429

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The viewer gets to see John Wick’s Mustang for the first time at the opening of the first film. Wick is minding his own business when an admirer approaches. We can tell he is evil because he smokes a cigarette at a gas station. The evil young man comments on the Mustang and identifies it as a 1970 Boss 429. Wick corrects him by telling him it’s a 1969 model.

It had to be one or the other, because Ford made the first generation of Boss Mustangs as homologation racing specials in 1969 and 1970. One, the small-block Boss 302, was destined for the Trans American series, while the big-block Boss 429’s 7.0-liter engine was designed for NASCAR in the days when stock car stock parts still existed. races. Wick is a rare and unique man, and so is his car. Ford made 1,359 Boss 429s – 857 in 1969 and another 499 in 1970 – before production ended. A 1969 Boss 429 like Wick’s is one of the rarest and most sought-after Mustangs on the muscle car market.

A good example of a Boss 429 that once sold for $605,000. The average value hovers around $313,000. The lowest recent sale of such a car estimates its value at $159,000. Sure, the death of Wick’s puppy (spoiler alert?) could provide moral justification for everything that happens next, but Wick couldn’t have been happy about having his ride stolen.

The screen car was a sheep in wolf’s clothing

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Now that you know how cool, unique, and valuable John Wick’s car is, it’s time to drop the bomb: it’s all a lie. A movie set is no place for a vehicle as unique and valuable as a Boss 429, especially since the production would destroy all five Mustangs built for the film. Hollywood’s pockets are deep, but not that deep, and the collective stroke of the automotive community if five Boss Mustangs were to go to the great car crusher in the sky for a movie would undoubtedly damage the muscle market.

Producers came up with a standard Hollywood solution: fake it. Luckily, Ford created a near-twin Mustang that shared many of the same lines as the Boss 429. The Mach 1 is one of the most beautiful Mustang models ever built by Ford and definitely special – but not Boss special. Ford began production of the Mach 1 in 1969 after a 1968 concept made waves with the very first Mach 1 badge. One of four new Mustangs introduced that year, the Mach 1 was intended as a more sedate version of the rugged Boss. Customers could customize virtually anything, including a selection of engines from the 351 Windsor V8 to a 428 Cobra Jet.

The Mach 1 is objectively beautiful, but where it gets sheepish is in its production numbers. Ford put 72,458 Mach 1s into the hands of buyers in 1969 alone. By the time production of the John Wick films rolled around, it was considerably cheaper to adapt a Mach 1 for Boss 429 acting duties.

The Hitman Mustang got its own identity.

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The film does an admirable job of building a beautiful Mustang, regardless of its origins or claimed rarity. Despite being claimed as a Boss 429 (John Wick wouldn’t lie) while being a Mach 1 in disguise, the reality is a bit fuzzier. The movie car clearly shows an automatic transmission – a feature not available on the homologation Boss 429. Other discrepancies include hood pins, which were available on the ’69 Mach 1 but absent on the Boss 429, a woodgrain steering wheel from a Shelby Mustang , bulging rocker panels from a ’70 Mach 1, and a hood scoop smaller than that of the Boss 429 (which had the largest hood scoop in Mustang history).

Some car enthusiasts might argue that Wick’s Boss 429 wasn’t authentic, but what if Wick customized it himself? He’s clearly a lover of the finer things, whether it’s mechanical items like guns and cars, sleek modern home design, or whatever treatment he uses for the luster and shine of those beautiful locks of hair.

Whether the production didn’t want to bother with the smallest details for a car that doesn’t really have that much screen time, or whether they built it to fit Wick’s aesthetic, the formula struck a chord. Whatever it is, Wick’s Mustang has inspired copycats. Likewise, it turns out that custom jobs that mimic Wick’s have earned a unique nickname: the Hitman Mustang.

You can (sort of) own one

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With enough money you can own anything – even an original Boss 429. But the car from the films inspired at least one custom builder to develop a very own restomod Hitman Mustang for the reasonably low price of $377,000. We have come across classic recreations before. It’s breathtaking 1967 Shelby GT500CR is nothing to sneeze about, but it’s far from the only modified Mustang in its stable. The Texas-based company transforms classics into modern supercars by starting with an original body and packing it with modern features and stunning design.

Though they never say it outright, Classic’s 1969 “Hitman” Fastback seems like a tribute to Wick’s ride in every way. Equipped with gun-metal gray with black stripes (CR calls the paint combination Hitman Gray and Beagle Black), hood pins and a spoiler in place, it contains all the beauty of the movie car combined with modern amenities and power.

Buyers can choose between 302, 363 and 429 cubic inch engine options, with the top choice trading an extra $25,000 for a whopping 670 horsepower. Wilwood brakes, front and rear coilovers, and American racing wheels are just some of the other options to help you live out your John Wick fantasy. But we will have to insist that it stops at the car. Leave the righteous revenge to Hollywood.

None of the movie cars survived

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Maybe a restomod version isn’t enough for you. After all, you are the biggest Keanu Reeves fan in the world and have way more money than sense. Unfortunately, you’re still out of luck. None of the five cars built for the 2014 John Wick production survived filming.

Reeves, once a bona fide Hollywood star, reportedly did much of the driving in the films himself. Reeves has undoubtedly shown a penchant for automotive activities with his motorcycle company, Archand he has recently dabbled in racing as a driver in the amateur Toyota GR Cup. Unfortunately, none of these chases stopped him from crashing one of the Hitmen Mustangs in the first attack.

In the end, maybe it didn’t matter. Every Mustang was planned for destruction from the start (another good reason not to use a real Boss 429). Production continued to destroy even more Mustangs for the sequel. The John Wick franchise has the ignominy of creating greater demand for first-generation Mustangs while simultaneously reducing the available supply of them.