Here's What Makes John Wick's 1969 Mustang So Special

There are action movies released every year, but most of them don't gain as extensive of a fanbase as the "John Wick" series. The first film debuted in 2014, and at the time of writing, there have been three movies made overall with a fourth installment planned for 2023 (via Deadline). There's a lot to like about the movies, but for auto enthusiasts, one of the most significant selling points is the title character's car. 

The character John Wick has a Ford Mustang, though it isn't just any Mustang — the car featured in the movie is a classic and among the best Mustangs ever produced ... or so it seemed on the big screen. The reality, as with many vehicles featured in popular movies, is a bit more interesting and a tad deceptive: the car was made to look like a classic Boss 429, but it's actually an entirely different — and far less exciting — variety of Mustang.

Although the Ford Mustang in and of itself is a celebrated model that helped define the muscle car generation, these vehicles are not all created equally. The Boss 429 Mustang is a rare variant that Ford offered only during the 1969 and 1970 model years, according to Automobile Catalog, and a very limited number of units were manufactured. As a result, the vehicle is exceedingly valuable, as evidenced by some sales listings. For example, an unrestored (but in good condition with low mileage) 1969 Boss 429 Fastback was listed for sale at Mecum Auctions, which estimated its value at between $275,000 and $350,000.

John Wick supposedly drives this version of the Mustang, as evidenced by a callout during the first movie. However, viewers with a keen eye quickly noticed some details that didn't add up, making it clear the car featured in the series is actually a Mach 1 Mustang. According to Hagerty, there are many small elements that give away the secret, including the automatic transmission witnessed in the second movie (the Boss 429 was only offered with a manual), plus the hood scoop that was unique to the Mach 1.

That's not to say a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 is too shabby itself. Packing 250 horsepower from its 8-cylinder gas engine at launch, the trim proved to be wildly successful for Ford. One step up from the base-spec Mustang GT, the Mach 1 accounted for almost 1 in every 4 Mustang sales in 1969, according to Hemmings.

Given Ford shifted almost 300,000 of its pony cars that year, that's a big number. The Mach 1 package started at $3,122 in 1969, or just north of $25,000 in today's money. Cheaper, then, than a modern day 2022 Mustang EcoBoost Fastback, which currently start at $27,470. So popular was the trim, it actually prompted Ford to retire the GT nameplate altogether through the 1970s: it only returned to the range in 1982, three years after the "Fox" body Mustang debuted. 

The Mach 1 badge, meanwhile, came and went over the intervening decades. Ford most recently rebooted it for the 2021 Mustang Mach 1, continuing its traditional of relatively attainable performance with extra body styling, a 5.0-liter V8 engine, and a slick manual transmission borrowed from the potent Shelby GT350.

No one seems to be entirely sure why the "John Wick" car isn't the Mustang Boss 429. Sometimes film sets simply can't find certain vehicles and are forced to do their best, a process that's made even harder when you add rarity into the mix. Given the sheer number of Mustang Mach 1 cars out there, compared to the limited availability of Mustang Boss 429 models, it's perhaps no surprise that the props team responsible for giving Reeve's character his ride opted for something more attainable. Especially when you consider the expensive prospect of inadvertently destroying an original car on-set, or the possibility of time delays should something on a rare vehicle simply break. 

That's par for the course in the motion picture industry, in fact. There are plenty of movie cars which aren't quite what they seem when you go digging, either because the real thing wasn't available at the time of shooting, or because the script called for scenes that simply weren't supported. The flip side — albeit far more rare — is when actors specifically request a vehicle, like the Chevy Malibu in 2011 feature "Drive," that Ryan Gosling insisted star alongside him.

Reeves may not have got to play in an authentic Boss 429, but that doesn't mean his own garage is lacking. The actor owns a custom Porsche 911, specially built for him by the German sports car-maker, which has an interesting history of its own compared to other 911 models.