This Mustang Daytona Was Lost To Time Until Someone Opened The Vault

The Mustang Daytona Concept featured a T-top two years before it appeared on the production Fox Body

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/                                    

Most people will have no idea what this is. Believe it or not, it’s actually a 1979 Mustang Concept, heavily modified and presented by Ford at various auto shows to demonstrate what the Foxbody platform was capable of. And now, this one-of-one prototype is headed to Mecum Auctions, where it’s expected to fetch between $80,000 and $100,000.

This unique Mustang was created by Cars and Concepts for Ford, and while the original plan called for five of them, only this one was completed with the full suite of modifications. To make things even more exclusive, it’s believed to be the only surviving example in working condition, which should pique the interest of any serious Mustang collector.

Read: This Isn’t A 1968 Mustang, Even If It Looks Like One

In an effort to turn the Foxbody into something resembling a Daytona, seemingly inspired by the iconic Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Cars and Concepts gave it Perspex headlight covers and a T-top roof. That roof design would later appear as a factory option for the Foxbody, but in 1979, this setup made the car a true standout.

Mecum Auctions

According to Mecum Auctions, this very Mustang was featured by Ford at the New York, Chicago, and Detroit Auto Shows in 1979. After making the rounds, it was repurposed as a pace car for several Daytona road course races that same year. Once its public duties were done, the car was tucked away in the Henry Ford Museum for roughly twenty years before eventually landing in private ownership.

In 2005, it received a repaint in Vivid Red Orange, a color that complements its sharp, period-correct styling. Under the hood, the original 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 is still in place, paired with a four-speed manual transmission.

It’s not just a museum piece, either, as the car won an Award of Distinction at the Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance in 2024, and the interior remains in remarkably clean condition.

If you’re looking to add a rare piece of Ford Mustang history to your garage, this one might be worth a closer look. You can check out the full listing over at Mecum Auctions here.

Mecum Auctions