Low-volume Mustang pays tribute to Iacocca

Lee Iacocca is perhaps best known for pulling Chrysler out of its financial mire in the 1980s, but many still remember him as being one of the driving forces behind the creation of Ford's iconic Mustang in the 1960s.

It's therefore fitting that California-based I Legacy has crafted a modern-day 'Stang that pays tribute to the former auto industry mogul. The stunning coupe is known as the Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang, and pricing for the limited-edition model starts at $US89,950 ($103,330 in our money).

Built by Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters, a company that's created a range of concepts for various auto makers over the past 28 years, the Iacocca Mustang reportedly blends the latest in Ford performance know-how with a retro-themed fastback shape.

Its creators proclaim the car as an "an exceptional piece of modern day coach building" and "a hand-built example of an art form that is all but lost today". There's a bit of hype in all this, but we have to agree the Iacocca Mustang appears beautifully crafted.

Each of the 45 limited edition Mustangs is custom-built by a team of artists, using composite construction laminates, a reinforced material that's primarily used in aerospace design.

The hand-crafted vehicles are all painted in a bespoke Iacocca silver hue, and each part is separately cured in an autoclave. As a result, every part of the Iacocca Mustang is extremely light, but very strong, according to the company.

The Iacocca-designed bonnet crest is custom-made by a jeweller and every emblem is hand-finished and polished. Front and rear wheels are cast aluminium and chrome plated for a sheen-like finish and the centre caps are machined and also chrome plated.

Two engines are offered; the base powerplant is a 4.6-litre Ford V8 with 220kW, but this can be upped to 235kW via a Ford Racing 85mm cold air kit. If all this sounds a bit ho-hum, then you'll want the optional Ford Racing supercharger that yields a more impressive 294kW.

Both engines are covered by a factory Ford warranty, and power is relayed to the rear wheels by a five-speed manual transmission.

Interior tweaks include 'Iacocca Diamond Design' leather seats with embroidery stitching, an Iacocca signature dash plaque with serial number, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with "I" badge and Iacocca-badged aluminium door sill plates.

The Iacocca Silver Edition Mustang is a collaborative effort by Lee Iacocca, designer Michael Leone and Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters. Galpin Ford, said to be the largest volume Ford dealer in the world, is the only dealership that will sell the low-volume 'Stang.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi