Ford, in the 1960s, was deeply involved in all forms of racing. Ford management believed that if it's cars won on the track, it would translate to better sales. "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday."
Since 1967, Ford was heavily involved in SCCA's Trans Am race series, where Pony cars competed against each other. Ford was soundly trounced in the 1968 season by Mark Donohue's Chevrolet Z-28 Camaro, and was determined to win in the 1969 season. To do so, Ford produced a special version of its 302 c.i. V-8, dubbed the Boss 302, which was installed in a special Mustang, also called the Boss 302. And in order to have the Boss 302 compete on the track, a certain number of Boss 302 Mustangs had to be produced and sold.
The limited production Boss 302 was based on the 1969 SportsRoof body, but without the simulated side scoops. To make the Boss stand out, lots of flat black paint was used on the hood, headlight buckets, rear deck and taillight panels. A large "C" side stripe with Boss 302 lettering was used on the sides.
Colors were limited to just four in 1969: Wimbledon White, Bright Yellow, Calypso Coral and Acapulco Blue. Most Boss 302s came with the standard black Mustang interior, though other interiors were optional. A front chin spoiler was standard, while the distinctive rear window Sports Slats and rear wing spoiler were popular options.
Standard wheels were argent(silver) painted 15x7 Magnum 500s using Goodyear F50x15 Polyglas tires. Chrome Magnum 500s were optional. In 1970, the standard wheel used a wheel trim ring/hubcap combination, with the chrome Magnums optional.
The Boss 302 engine block was a special strengthened four-bolt main version of the production 302. It used forged steel connecting rods, a forged steel crank and special cylinder heads utilizing very large 2.23"(intake) and 1.72"(exhaust) valves. An aluminum high rise intake manifold and a Holley 780 cfm carburetor provided induction. All Boss 302 engines came with a mechanical lifter camshaft and a dual-point distributor and all Boss 302s came with a four-speed wide ratio (2.78 first gear) manual transmission.
The big difference with the Boss 302 and the regular 302, were the cylinder heads. These heads were of the canted valve design, similar to the ones used on the Chevrolet 427 V-8. They featured large intake and exhaust ports for better breathing and therefore, better horsepower output.
Other standard Boss 302 features were front disc brakes, quick-ratio(16:1) steering, 3.50 rear axle ratio and staggered ear shocks.
For 1970, Ford cranked up production, as the Boss 302 proved to be a good seller. Besides a new side tape treatment and minor engine modifications, the Boss 302 was essentially unchanged. The popular "Shaker" hood scoop arrangement became an option on the Boss 302 .
The Boss 302 appealed to those who appreciated tight handling and spirited performance. Although the Boss 302 was once again beaten (by a very small margin) in the 1969 Trans Am Series, it came back and won in 1970.
