If you’re a fan of the Ford Mustang, then you’ll know that this muscle car got a massive marketing push throughout the 1960s. You could even argue that the Mustang’s appearance in films and pop culture helped cement it as the icon it is today. However, you rarely hear about the one-off examples that never managed to get their time in the spotlight.

Today we’ll be looking at exactly that, a muscle car that never became a star, listed by Hemmings. According to the listing, this one-off gold car was built to star in the famous James Bond film Goldfinger. While a Mustang certainly made it onto the film, it wasn’t this one.

Why does this 1965 Ford Mustang cost $140,000?

As mentioned in the intro, this 1965 Ford Mustang was destined for the big screen. According to Hemmings, the car was supposed to star in a scene where James Bond chases down Tilly Masterson in her Mustang. This is before he slashes her rear tire to stop her and have a conversation. However, If you’ve watched Goldfinger, you’ll know that the vehicle that made the cut was a convertible version. It featured a white exterior and a red leather interior.

However, before the convertible car came into play, the film producers commissioned this one-off gold car. After a full restoration, its current owner listed it for sale. Part of what makes this car special and its $139,500 asking price digestible is that it came directly from Ford. This includes the ultra-gaudy gold interior as well.

To ensure that it could stand up against 007’s Aston Martin in a car chase, Ford fitted this car with a Shelby-modified engine pushing out 305 hp.

Here’s why this one-off muscle car didn’t make it onto the big screen

Unfortunately for this Ford Mustang and moviegoers of the time, this car didn’t make it onto the film for one very unfortunate reason. Since this car is a one-off project, the team at Ford needed more time to complete it. As a result, when the production studio asked for its car, the American carmaker decided to send the convertible variant instead.

While the Ford Mustang that made it on to the movie wasn’t quite as flashy as this gold example, it still managed to complete the carmaker’s original goal, exposure. Little did Ford know that it would star in one of the most iconic 007 movies ever made.

This ultra-rare Ford Mustang has just 22,000 miles on the clock

Just because this 1965 Ford Mustang didn’t make it onto the big screen doesn’t mean it hasn’t lived a full life. In fact, Hemmings reports that this muscle car has a unique past. That’s because it raced at drag strips for many years with a modified engine and an automatic transmission. From there, a man named Richard Lee discovered the car listed for sale in 1988. Lee then decided to purchase and restore the car over a period of several years.

Now, the car sits fully restored with just 22,000 miles on the clock, ready for its next owner. While it may not be the start of Goldfinger, it’s still one of the rarest Mustangs Ford has ever built.