Proceeds from the Mustang Dark Horse VIN 001 auction go to charity.
This past weekend, a sea of collector metal hit the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction, including the very first serial production 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. “VIN 001s” can go for huge bucks, as the automaker typically auctions the first examples of a particular model off to support charity. This time around, Ford consigned the first Dark Horse to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and its Type 1 diabetes research. When the hammer came down, Lot 3003 sold for a cool $375,000.
While past Mustangs have gone for higher amounts (the very first production S650 Mustang went for $565,000 last year), that is still a major chunk of cash. For reference, the standard Mustang Dark Horse, barring any dealer markups, MSRPs for just over $61,000.
Unlike your standard Mustang GT, the Dark Horse ups the ante a bit by bringing a nice, round 500 horsepower to the party (rather than 486). You also get Ford’s third-gen MagneRide suspension, bespoke styling touches a 13.2-inch touchscreen inside. Ford set this particular Dark Horse up to be a seriously sporty proposition with the available Handling Package, Recaro seats, the 6-speed Tremec manual transmission and the obligatory go-faster stripes. If you go to build your own, you can switch around which options you prefer, as well as go for a 10-speed automatic, if that’s your thing.
While Ford stresses the model’s limited availability, Dark Horses are starting to roam the streets. Short of the next-generation Shelby models, these are the most badass new S650 Mustangs you can currently get your hands on.
If you’re looking for something a bit less expensive, we managed to pick up a (relatively) cheap 2024 Ford Mustang GT without all the bells and whistles for just a shade over $43,000, thanks to incentive details. Check that out below:
