A Look Back: 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302

• Inspired by the Ford Mustangs that won the 1966 and 1967 Trans-Am championships, Ford responded to new competition by creating the best Mustang of the time, the 1969 Boss 302

• With a unique look created by designer Larry Shinoda and a high-output 302-cubic-inch V8, the Boss 302 became one of the most legendary Mustangs ever

While it might be nice to have a market segment all to yourself, that can easily lead to complacency. Competition, on the other hand, pushes everyone to keep getting better. Nowhere is this truer than in the realm of performance cars like Ford Mustang.

When Mustang debuted in April 1964, there was nothing else like it on the market, and more than 1 million customers snapped one up in the first two years. This overnight success did not go unnoticed by other automakers, and competitors soon arrived to up the ante; Ford took up the challenge.

In early 1968, Semon E. “Bunkie” Knudsen was named president of Ford Motor Company and Larry Shinoda joined the design staff. Knudsen was a strong believer that performance could help sell more cars, and soon after his arrival Shinoda and chief engineer Howard Freers were assigned to create an even higher performance Mustang. The new model would be inspired by the cars that won the first two Trans-Am championships in 1966 and 1967.