Vehicle Description
Among the many special Mustang variants produced during the 1960s,
Ford Motor Company's five "ARI" pace car convertibles are
particularly sought-after today. In late 1969, Ford was approached
by American Raceways International (ARI) to build a special 10-car
batch, including five special Mustang pace car convertibles - one
for each of ARI's five racetracks - plus five "VIP" Mach 1
fastbacks. All were specified with R-code (Ram Air) 428 Cobra Jet
engines and C6 automatic transmissions. The pace car convertibles
in particular received specially painted hoods, custom stripes, and
ARI rear-fender logos signifying the company's Atlanta, Eastern,
Texas, Riverside and Michigan properties. Other highlights included
open 3.00:1 rear axles, air conditioning, engine oil coolers, plus
significant modifications. The 428 CJ engines were removed and sent
to Ford Engineering, where they were balanced, blueprinted and
upgraded with a competition 3-angle valve job and fitted with
shot-peened connecting rods and heavy-duty pistons and gaskets.
Other highlights included a tubular 1.5-inch padded roll bar,
150-psi Stewart-Warner oil pressure gauge, NASCAR-spec "T" oil pan
and transmission blueprinting. Additionally, front coil springs
were slightly cut down. Built on October 17, 1969, the ARI pace car
convertibles feature sequential 120300-120304 serial numbers.
Numbered 120302, this Grabber Blue ARI pace car convertible was
assigned to Atlanta International Raceway and used on-track during
the 1970 racing season. Interestingly, the cars were sold for $1
and deal terms stipulated they would be used for pace car duties
only and then sold back to Ford with public sale or use prohibited.
Inexplicably, 120302 was sold after ARI's usage, possibly the
result of the company's bankruptcy around the time these special
Mustangs were still in use. Eventually, 120302 was acquired by
collector Bruce Weiss and restored for museum display only by TSS
Restorations of Melbourne, FL. Maintaining exceptional integrity,
the restoration was completed using the Mustang's original body
components, wiring, interior, convertible top, engine,
transmission, rear end and most other miscellaneous parts, with
restored original and NOS (New Old Stock) items used as required.
Following completion, the Mustang was featured in the October 1992
edition of Mustang Times, published by the Mustang Club of America,
followed by a 1993 Mustang & Ford article. Exceptional
documentation includes the original Build Sheet, confirmation
letter from Ford to ARI, the original Ford owner card and rare
original Ford inspection sheets. Incredibly rare, interesting and
retaining so much original content, this ARI Mustang convertible
remains one of the most fascinating and collectible of all. From
the Mile-High Collection.
