The Boss might be coming back…the Ford Mustang Boss, that is. The Dearborn automaker recently filed a new trademark application for the “Boss” name at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The filing, application serial number, 98963540, occurred on January 15, 2025, under the category of “motor vehicles, namely, gasoline and electric passenger automobiles, sports cars, pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles, and their structural parts.” Ford Motor Company’s legal team also supplied a stylized logo along with the application, reading “Boss.”
Although trademark filings aren’t necessarily concrete evidence of a new model or car, it’s indicative of some potential for one. Going back to some Ford history, the “Boss” nameplate is most associated with the Mustang Boss 302 and Boss 429 from 1969-1970, and its Boss 302 revival with the facelifted version of the fifth-gen Mustang from 2012-2013. This new trademark application suggests that Ford may be reviving the Boss name and model for a future Mustang variant.
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The Mustang Boss Were Track-Focused Answers To Chevy’s High-Output Camaro At The Time
The OG Mustang Boss roots its origins as a production homologation special that qualified Ford to compete against its arch-rival, Chevrolet, in the SCCA Trans Am racing series. With Chevy already competing with the first-generation Camaro and making headlines, which also gave birth to the iconic high-performance Z/28 model, Ford saw it as necessary to match the Golden Bowtie’s move. It further perpetuated America’s iconic pony car rivalry between the two automakers.
As an answer to the Camaro Z/28, Ford created the Mustang Boss 302 and 429 to meet the Trans Am homologation and qualification requirements. Dearborn essentially took its first-gen Mustang, tossed a heavily revised small-block 302 cubic-inch (5.0-liter) V-8 under the hood, and gave it a long list of other upgrades to make it one of the definitive high-performance Mustangs of the era.
Modifications to the 302 cu-in V-8 included solid lifters, a reinforced crank assembly with four-bolt main bearings versus the regular two-bolt setup, threaded compression freeze plugs, and a redesigned head with canted and larger valves for better aspiration. Ford engineers also improved the cooling channels throughout the block for better flow under heavy loads. The result: 290 horsepower and torques. A four-speed manual was standard and later upgraded with a Hurst “four-on-the-floor” shifter for the following 1970 model year.
Other upgrades included beefier standard disc brakes, lowered performance suspension with reinforced shock towers, thicker anti-sway bars, and stiffer shocks. Rounding it all off to separate the Boss 302 from your regular Mustang was sportier bodywork and appointments, including the car’s signature “hockey stick” side stripes and a pronounced and more aerodynamic lower front spoiler that distinguished the Boss from any other Mustang.
Ford later stuffed a massive 429 cu in V-8 in the Boss to compete against Chevy’s SS 396 and its special-edition big-block Camaro, the COPO 427. The Boss ended production in 1970 before being revived as the Boss 302 with the facelifted version of the fifth-generation S197 Mustang in 2012.
Also a one-year special, like the OG Boss 302, the 2012 model featured a heavily upgraded 5.0-liter Coyote V-8. With CNC-ported heads, forged crankshaft, more aggressive camshafts, and a high-flow performance intake lifted from the 302R competition car, output totaled 444 hp and 380 lb-ft., or around 32 more horses and 10 fewer torques than the standard GT. A six-speed manual and a limited-slip differential were standard, with the option for an upgraded Torsen LSD.
Similar to the original car, the 2012 version also featured unique exterior and interior appointments, upgraded suspension and exhaust, and more aggressive tires.
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Could A New Boss Be On The Horizon?
According to enthusiast site, FordAuthority, the trademark filing could suggest a return of the Boss model after a nearly 13-year hiatus. It also would make sense given that a new Boss model would succeed the previous special-edition Shelby and Mach 1 Mustangs of the recent past. Ford has a habit of producing special high-performance Mustangs, then suspending their production for some time before reviving them, to boost their exclusivity.
Back in May 2024, FordAuthority reportedly and exclusively learned that the current S650 Mustang won’t feature any Shelby variant. However, the final word on that decision has yet to be confirmed. Should a new Boss Mustang surface, it would coincide with paying tribute to Howard Freers, a person very well known for his association with developing the original Boss 302. Freers passed away in 2024 at 97 years old.
However, Ford is already working on some high-performance Mustangs with the recent GTD, Dark Horse, and the incoming RTR models, all of which prioritize performance. Whether there’s room in the range for another to accommodate a new Boss has yet to be determined.
Source: USPTO via FordAuthority
