One of the most iconic badges in Ford Mustang history, the Boss debuted for the 1969 model year on not one but two muscle cars. Both were developed for homologation purposes.
The Boss 429 was the more potent of the two. Powered by a 429-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 engine rated at a whopping 375 horsepower, it is the most powerful first-gen Mustang out there. It was created to homologate the engine for NASCAR. The mill was eventually used in the championship-winning Ford Torino Talladega.
The Boss 302 was a different kind of animal. Powered by a 302-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) small-bloc kV8 good for 290 horsepower, it was nowhere near as potent as the Boss 429. But that was because it was built to meet then-new SSCA Trans-Am regulations, which restricted engine displacement.
And unlike the Boss 429, which homologated an engine, the Boss 302 homologated an entire car for the Trans-Am series. The small-block pony also enabled Ford to offer a proper competitor for the highly popular Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.
Both Boss models returned for the 1970 model year but were discontinued in 1971 as the golden muscle car era was fading away. However, the Boss badge didn’t disappear for good. Ford release one final version for the 1971 model year: the Boss 351.
Even though the Boss 351 wasn’t supposed to homologate racing parts, it did get an exclusive engine. The mill in question was a beefed-up version of the 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) Cleveland. First offered in 1970, the Cleveland V8 came with 240 horsepower on tap in its least potent iteration in 1971. Ford also provided a four-barrel variant good for 285 horses.
The R-Code version in the Boss 351, however, featured a few performance-enhancing extras that increased output to 330 horsepower. It was the most powerful 1971 Mustang save for the Cobra Jet version (which offered an extra 40 horsepower). While the Cleveland engine soldiered on for a few more years, the Boss 351 did not return in 1972. It wasn’t all that popular either, with only 1,806 units delivered. That’s only 1.2% of the total production. The Raven Black fastback you see here is one of those rigs.
One of only 46 examples finished in this hue, the Mustang showcases an all-original interior that appears to be in nearly pristine condition. It’s unclear if the body was repainted, but the paint looks nice, and all the Boss 351 decals are in their correct positions. Moreover, it has the original Ram Air hood and a true-blue 351 Cleveland V8 under the hood.
Whether the unit is numbers-matching remains a mystery, but our host says the V8 packs more than 400 horsepower. This means it was upgraded by a previous owner. The mill mates to a four-speed manual gearbox and the original 3.91-ratio rear axle. It’s a nice driver, per our host, and the souped-up engine also makes it a bit of a hot rod. Check it out in the video below.