2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

This left-hand-drive 2013 model-year Mustang Boss 302 is from the line’s fifth generation when the cars returned to a more familiar body shape that even the uninitiated could imagine as an evolution of the Mustangs from the first two eras.

For some reason Americans like to be ahead of the times and the facelifted 2013 MY cars were released early the prior year. This one was built in March 2012 and bought new in May from a dealership in Kissimmee, Florida to be shipped to the UK where its first owner from Kent registered it in July 2012.

Its second owner, our vendor also based in Kent, bought the Boss 302 in February 2016. A fan of American muscle, he previously had a standard Mustang GT which he used as his daily but fancied something even more exotic. He knew the previous owner through the Mustang club and found out that, having recently acquired a Laguna Seca Edition 302 in the same yellow colour, he was looking to sell.

Rather than continue to use the Mustang Boss as a daily driver, nervous of leaving it in hotel car parks whilst working away from home, it became a “high days and holidays” ride and, let’s face it, there’s not been too many of those lately. So he’s putting it up for sale to replace it with another American V8, but one that is perhaps less of a collector’s car.

Number 280 of the series with only 16,500 miles driven, this Mustang is understood to be one of only 16 Boss 302s currently in the UK.

There is little to say about the exterior paint and bodywork on this Mustang other than, wow, it is fabulous. We know it’s not even 9 years old but the School Bus Yellow paint doesn’t even look 9 months old, it is near perfect. As are the bonnet stripes and Boss 302 “hockey-stick” side decals.

The lowered stance of the Boss 302 and the race-car styling gives this car a much meaner and more purposeful look compared to the standard fifth-gen Mustang - especially in yellow over black with dark tinted glass all round.

As a US-spec car, a number of modifications needed to be made to the turn indicators. This was done very well by adding an amber lamp into the rear light cluster and, instead of drilling a hole into the wings and fitting Mondeo side repeaters, there are LEDs neatly stitched into the door mirror caps. If owners want to temporarily return to the “cool” but not UK road legal sequential rear indication, there is a rocker switch under the dash by the driver’s left knee.

The original 19-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels are coated in gloss black with machined rims and are in very good condition. All are fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres from 2015 which look barely used.

The inside of the car is a charcoal grey, with upholstery in alcantara and cloth and vinyl elsewhere. The front Recaro race seats have the Boss 302 monogramme on the head rest and are very comfortable and support both driver and passenger well in the bends. The floor mats are monogrammed too.

From the factory, the front passenger seat had no height adjustment and for many that restricted their view out front. So the current owner has inserted some riser blocks under the fixings, bringing it up to a similar height to the driver’s seat. As with most Mustangs, the rear of the cabin isn’t especially large and fully-grown adults may find it difficult to access with another fully-grown person in front.

The dash and centre console design is sleek and, whilst not minimalist, has much less going on than the equivalent cars of today. Like the exterior, the inside of this car is immaculate without any sign of damage or wear and just a little scuffing on the hard plastic around the footwells.

Under the bonnet, again the car looks brand new. The enormous 5.0-litre V8, with its Ford blue cam covers, huge intake manifold and large bore air ducting fills the engine bay, leaving little room for the ancillaries which are packaged neatly around it. As another nod to the car’s performance characteristics, a thick strut brace arches over the engine.

The engine block is not the original but a genuine replacement acquired in 2014. There was a known fault in the early engines and it resulted in it throwing a rod. Ford USA would have replaced it under warranty, but not in the UK, so instead of risking shipping the whole car back and forth the first owner decided to order a new block and have it fitted locally.

Underneath the car, all appears extremely clean and undamaged with not even light surface rust to be seen. The quad exhaust has after-market QTP cut-out valves fitted where the two side exhaust ports split from the main pipes replacing the factory restrictor-plates. These can be fully opened or partially closed at the flick of a toggle switch under the dash by the driver’s left knee to reduce the rasping in the exhaust noise. It must be said that closed, the exhaust sound is still good whilst neighbour-friendly, but with everything open it is the full fruit.

Another modification is the fitting of Laguna Seca Edition brake ducts, taking air from the previously blanked-off fog lamp holders low down in the front panel.

Inside the spacious boot the carpet and linings are very clean. Underneath, there is no spare wheel but in the well there is a tyre compressor and also a Boss 302 fitted cover. Inside the boot are also the original number plates (personal plates will be retained by the current owner).

The Mustang has a current MOT valid until August 2021 which it passed with no advisories and a combined online/paper history of previous tests back to its first in 2015. This record validates the current low odometer reading of 16,500 miles.

The car comes with its original owner’s manuals in a pouch and the Boss 302 owner’s kit including authenticity certificate, numbered keyring, DVD, posters and brochures as well as a book on the Boss 302 story.

Importantly, the Boss 302 comes with two keys - one everyday use key with a silver logo and the other with a red logo. This red key is called the TRACKey and, as its name suggests, is for use on track. Starting the car with the red key tells the ECU to load in the race tuning mappings changing over 200 engine management parameters.

Other documentation includes its Ford certificate of origin, the original bill of sale from Mullinax Ford, Kissimmee, Florida and all shipping papers. There are also various invoices for parts bought and work done during the last 8 or so years in the UK.

Oct 2014 - replacement engine, exhaust gaskets, shifter support kit

Feb 2016 - electric exhaust cut-out valve

Aug 2016 - air con cleaning fluid, Bosch battery

Jul 2017 - oil change - GT101 Colchester

Feb 2019 - oil and air filters

Apr 2019 - oil change and sump gasket - GT101 Colchester

Nov 2019 - remove and replace gearbox - GT101 Colchester

The vendor explains the gearbox removal: "this was done to ensure that the rear main seal was not leaking oil, as it had a slight weep.  I wanted to be sure there wasn't an issue with the RMS.  We took the opportunity to inspect the clutch and flywheel at this time and they showed no signs of wear or abuse".

It has a full service history and was subject to two manufacturer airbag safety recalls which were both addressed late last year.

We include an online HPI report run at the auction start which shows no finance outstanding and no insurance markers for theft or damage.

The Mustang GT, on which this limited edition car is based, is rightly thought of as a muscle car. But the Boss 302, with its performance and handling upgrades, should actually be considered a sports car - or even a road-legal racer given its dual mode and close relationship to the IMSA competition cars. Indeed, the current owner likens it to driving a large 911 rather than like the Mustang GT he had before.

As we’ve previously said there aren’t too many Boss 302s in the UK, so they don’t come up for sale very often. Unlike the equivalent GT, they haven’t lost any of their value either - in fact they’re mostly up on their original purchase price - and so they command strong money.

By now you’ll realise that this is no ordinary Mustang and likely if you’re interested in this lot, you’ll know all about how special they are. We think this particular Boss 302, with low mileage and in factory-fresh condition will fetch between £36,000 and £43,000.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.