This ‘Illegal’ Cobra Mustang Paint Is Rare and Costs $26,000 per Gallon
There is plenty to love about the New Edge SN95 SVT Cobra Mustang. The legendary supercharged Terminator that puts down massive horsepower (especially for the time) is an amazing experience. However, a handful of these ferocious Cobras came with a special paint color. So special, in fact, that it was illegal for anyone other than Ford to mix the paint.
Mystichrome used to require a Ford representative’s presence to spray
This beautiful example of a 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra is currently for sale on the auction website Cars and Bids. With only 15,500 original miles on the odometer, it’s sure to fetch a remarkable price. Terminator Cobras are only ascending in value. At the time of writing, this auction has three days remaining and already has a bid of over $35,000.
While the specs of this car are cool in their own right, the true discussion point is the paint. Ford’s legendary Mystichrome color-shifting paint only ever made its way on to around 1,000 Terminator Cobra examples. It’s a virtually even split with right around 500 coupes and 500 convertibles wearing the legendary “illegal” paint.
David Patterson, the content creator for the YouTube channel ThatDudeInBlue, did a phenomenal video where one of these rare Mustangs was in for repairs after hitting a deer. In the video, Patterson and an autobody professional named Chris outline all the details of the iconic Mystichrome paint. If you’re familiar with the lore, you may know what leads people to call Mystichrome the “illegal” paint.
When Mystrichrome was fresh and new, it was not an easy paint to get ahold of. If you owned a Mystichrome Cobra and got into an accident that required paint repair, you were in for a nasty surprise. Only certain body shops around the country could spray the paint, and to do so, a Ford representative had to be present. Not only that, but that Ford rep was responsible for bringing the paint, overseeing the work done, then re-sealing the can and bringing the leftover paint back with them.
So, yes! It was illegal for anyone to spray Mystichrome without Ford’s permission or representatives.
Now, many body shops have clearance to spray Mystichrome. Yet, they don’t
Though Ford has authorized many PPG Platinum-certified automotive repair shops to spray Mystichrome without the company overseeing the work, many shops still won’t do it. It all boils down to the price. Hopefully, you’re sitting down for this one.
In Patterson’s video, he shows the cost of just 16 ounces of Mystichrome paint, which comes in at a whopping $3,335.27. That works out to over $26,600 per gallon. Keep in mind that that price figure is only for the paint and does not include shop labor or any other work done to the car. That’s almost as outrageous as the $10,000 GT500 racing stripes option!
Most recently, Mystichrome made headlines because Ford used it on a vehicle for the first time since the Terminator Cobra Mustang. California entrepreneur Justin Choice got Ford to paint his brand new Ford GT with the legendary Mystichrome paint.
According to Ford Performance, Ford assured Choice that no other Ford GT would ever get the Mystichrome paint job. That’s just as well, too. According to Autoevolution, Choice paid handsomely for the paint job and the privilege of exclusivity. How handsomely? $100,000.
So, keep your distance if you see a Cobra Mustang or Choice’s GT wearing the beautiful Mystichrome paint job. After all, you wouldn’t want to be responsible for that body shop bill!
