The 1969 Boss 302 Mustang is one of Ford's greatest engineering moments and the marketing story behind it is as good as the car itself.

The SCCA's Trans-Am series required manufacturers to sell a street-legal version of the race car. Ford needed a high-revving small-block to compete with the Chevrolet Z/28. The Boss 302 delivered: solid lifters, large-port heads, a free-breathing exhaust, and a valvetrain that could sustain 7,500 rpm.

The street cars were not race cars. The race cars got additional preparation. But the Boss 302 was as close to a purpose-built homologation special as Ford produced in this era. The connection to the track cars is documented and real. That story is part of what makes the car worth what it costs.