Artist Immortalizes '65 Ford Mustang In Aluminum

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Fancy a '67 Ford Mustang With Scissor Doors and Retractable Hardtop? [Photo Gallery]

Have we got the car for you. Better known under the "Poison Ivy" moniker, this is a Stang unlike any other you've seen before thanks to its high level of customization and special history behind its retractable metal roof.

To make a long story short, Ford wanted a retractable clamshell-style roof to further raise the appeal of the first-gen Mustang back in the '60s, thus investing lots of money and manpower in this special development project.

Former Ford employee Ben J. Smith was the man that proposed the idea of this outlandish feature, but as the money went by the bucket load without concrete development results, the Blue Oval pulled the plug on the project. However, a retired Smith went solo and created a handful of Hardtop Convertible Stang prototypes in the '90s with his own hands and finances, using the original roof moulds.

The "Poison Ivy" you can admire in the gallery below is one of those unique vehicles. Currently advertised on a classic car auctions website, its current owner specifies that "Ben Smith recognizes Poison Ivy as 1 of only 14 cars built using his design." Based on a 1967 coupe, this restomodded Mustang is currently appraised at $140,000, but the seller wants just $65k for it. What exactly do you get for that kind of money except the interesting history behind it and the Transformers-like retractable hardtop roof?

Starting with the oily bits, the engine is a 302 cubic inch (5.0-liter) Long Block crate V8 from Ford Racing which churns out 340 horsepower. The oomph is sent to the rear axle via a Tremec T5 five-speed heavy duty racing gearbox with aluminum drive shaft, while hooning credentials are ensured by an 8-inch 4 Spider clutch-type limited slip differential.

The vehicles also features a complete Grab-A-Track performance suspension kit, disc brakes on all four wheels, Chip Foose Design 17-inch wheels with Falken 245/45 R17 rubber, Steeroids rack and pinion power steering, as well as air conditioning from Classic Auto.

Open the switchblade doors and you'll find a custom tan leather wrapped cabin which sports Dakota digital gauges, power windows and central locking, a Kenwood sound system with sat-nav capability, custom blue interior lights and power seats sourced from the 2005 Mustang GT.

As for the unique "Poison Ivy" hue, it has a vibrant chameleon effect depending on how the sun or shades hit the paint, bringing forth a lot of sparkle to the color. The stripes flip from orange to yellow and back depending on lighting conditions. Currently located in Arizona, the '67 Mustang shows only 1,600 miles on the odometer.

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Watch the 2015 Ford Mustang Take Off Into Space [Video]

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Dodge Charger and Ford Mustang Recreate Iconic Bullitt Chase [Video]

As a special homage to the Oscar-winning Hollywood sensation from 1968, the epic car chase starring a Highland Green colored Ford Mustang GT fastback and an intimidating black Dodge Charger R/T was recreated on the streets of a sleepy Silverstone village.

We're sure that every petrolhead knows that the awe-inspiring high-speed pursuit featured in the original action thriller was filmed on the hilly streets of San Francisco. However, this new remake was shot in the United Kingdom at the Silverstone circuit because the Mustang will be celebrating its British 50th anniversary at this summer's Silverstone Classic event, which will take place between July 25th and 27th.

“It’s hard to imagine a better way for us to celebrate the Mustang’s forthcoming 50th birthday party than by making this special homage to the classic car chase in Bullitt,” said Nick Wigley, Silverstone Classic event director. “As you can imagine, we had a lot of fun making this film – not least as it gave us all a great excuse to watch the original movie once again!”

Staying loyal to the visual identity of the revered Bullitt chase, the remake starts with the Steve McQueen character (US police officer Lieutenant Frank Bullitt) driving his Stang, while two baddies follow him in a Dodge Charger. The modern patische is full of nods to the original, with the hitman driver wearing leather gloves plus black shades, as well as the Mustang popping up in the Charger's rear view mirror.

Both vehicles used to recreate the iconic chase will be on display at the Silverstone Classic as part of a huge Mustange presence supported by Pure Michigan, the tourism division of the US State of Michigan. What's more, both the Bullitt Stang and Charger will be joined by Gone in 60 Seconds's Eleanor and the pony from American Gangster.

Scroll down to watch the exciting remake, as well as the original Bullitt car chase.

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