The Build Process.
Every Iacocca Silver Edition began as a production Mustang GT and underwent a hand-built transformation at Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters in Fountain Valley, CA. Four stages touched every surface.
Base Vehicle Selection
Each car started as a 2009 Ford Mustang GT fitted with the 4.6L 3-valve V8 producing 300 horsepower stock, 320 with the Ford Racing cold air intake kit. The GT was selected for its performance pedigree, Tremec TR-3650 5-speed manual transmission, and structural foundation that could support the custom bodywork. Base vehicles were sourced through Galpin Ford in Los Angeles. The donor cars whose Ford labels have been read were built at Flat Rock between May and September 2008, eleven to fifteen months before conversion, and the Metalcrafters alteration placards on cars #13 and #32 date the work to September 2009. On announcement day, June 22, 2009, George Gaffoglio told the Orange County Register: “They will all be handcrafted, each one. This is not just a production line, per se. This is a very, very special edition.”
Fastback Body Conversion
Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters hand-formed the signature fastback roofline — the defining visual element of the Iacocca edition. The roofline was shaped to reference the classic 1965–1966 Mustang fastback profile while integrating cleanly with the S197 platform. Each panel was fabricated and fitted individually.
Gaffoglio’s involvement has been confirmed via a factory letter dated September 10, 2013, signed by Marcelo Gaffoglio. The letter confirms production totals, color variants, and select build configurations for cars #40, #41, and #42. A 600 dpi scan of the page, with the addressee’s name masked, is in the gallery below (Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters, copy supplied by the owner of car No. 40).
Performance & Mechanicals
These were not cosmetic tributes. Every Iacocca Silver Edition received genuine Ford Racing performance hardware across three major systems — suspension, brakes, and for select cars, forced induction.
Ford Racing Handling Pack
All 45 cars received the Ford Racing M-FR3A-MGTA handling package: upgraded front struts, rear shocks, lowering springs, front and rear sway bars, and an adjustable panhard bar. The kit replaced every major suspension component and lowered the car roughly an inch, sharpening turn-in response and body control over the stock Mustang GT setup. A performance alignment with increased negative camber was part of the factory specification.
14-Inch Brembo Front Brakes
Every car also received the Ford Racing M-2300-S brake upgrade — 14-inch GT-500 rotors with Brembo four-piston calipers up front, paired with Goodridge braided stainless steel brake lines and 2007 SVT Cobra rear pads. The upgrade required 18-inch or larger wheels for caliper clearance, which informed the selection of the 20-inch chrome wheels that became a signature of the car’s look.
Whipple Supercharger (Select Cars)
A number of Iacocca editions were optioned with a Whipple 2.3L twin-screw supercharger, pushing the 4.6L V8 to an estimated 400–500 horsepower. The kit included a reflashed ECM, high-flow fuel injectors, an intercooler, and a new intake manifold, with boost limited to 13 PSI. The supercharger was offered in both black and chrome finishes. In California the supercharged cars were covered by Whipple’s own CARB Executive Order D-231-28 of September 5, 2008, whose Exhibit A lists the 2005 to 2009 Mustang against the 4.6L kit fitted to these cars; D-231-30, the number printed on the cover of the Ford Racing installation manual, later extended that cover to the 2010 model year, and car #02 carries a D-231-29 label under its bonnet. No Ford Racing or Ford Performance executive order covers a supercharger on the 2005 to 2010 4.6L Mustang; the certification is Whipple’s. Not every car received the supercharger — the exact count and configuration varied by order, and the registry is still documenting which cars were equipped.
The original Ford Racing installation guides and CARB certification for these components have been preserved and are available for reference below.
Interior & Final Assembly
Each car received a black leather interior with a diamond-stitch pattern, an Iacocca-badged leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an individually numbered dash plaque. 20-inch chrome wheels with custom ‘I’ center caps completed the look. The interior treatment was consistent across all 45 cars with minor variation in options.
From the shop floor.
