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There is financial bad luck. Then there’s financial foolishness. This story may fall into category two. Someone literally lost a “Mustang” worth of money on a collectible 1969 Mustang Boss they flipped for a massive loss. Here’s what we know.

This Mustang owner just made a $13,500 donation to the used car market. That’s $1,100 a month just to look at his car. There are bad investments, and then there’s whatever this was. This guy lost $13,500 in one year with barely any miles to show for it. Meanwhile, someone just scored a lightly used Boss 302 at a steal. The real lesson here? If you’re gonna buy a Mustang, at least drive the thing. Or if you want to throw away $1,000 a month, just lease a Hellcat and call it a day.

He lost a Mustang’s worth of cash on a 1969 Mustang

The seller bought this 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 on Bring a Trailer in January 2024 for $74,000. A year later, it sold for $60,500. That’s a whole Mustang’s worth of depreciation.

For $13,500, he could have bought an entire running Mustang. A first-gen automatic? No problem. A Mach 1 V8 stick shift with some needs? Easily. A 2005-2010 manual V8 Mustang? Done. Instead, he parked this classic, drove it a grand total of 50 miles, and then cashed out for a five-figure loss.

Why take such a massive hit?

Maybe he set his reserve price too low and got stuck selling at a loss. Maybe he impulse-bought it during a Tesla stock high, then panicked when the market crashed. Or maybe he just wanted to live his John Wick fantasy for a year, then moved on.

Whatever the case, this is a harsh lesson in car flipping. Classic Mustangs may be collectible, but they aren’t guaranteed money-makers. Even the cleanest ones can lose value if market conditions shift.

And, honestly? This wasn’t just any Mustang. It was a 408-powered, five-speed 1969 Mach 1 finished in Black Jade, featuring a Tremec TKO-600 transmission, a COMP Cams camshaft, MSD ignition components, and quad exhaust outlets. Not exactly an easy sell to someone looking for an untouched factory-original Boss 302.

$13,500 gone—at least drive the thing

I’d feel different if the little-while owner had put real miles on the car, at least he’d have some fun to show for his losses. Instead, he basically paid for storage fees. If you’re buying a classic Mustang, drive it. If you’re looking for an investment, maybe don’t gamble on the most common muscle car of all time. Or at least hang onto it until the market goes up.

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.