It’s not every day that Richard Hammond gets emotional over cars, but this time, he had a good reason. In a recent Drivetribe episode, the former Top Gear host brought his beloved 1967 Ford Mustang 390 GT face-to-face with his newly purchased Mustang Dark Horse. What followed was part nostalgia trip, part love letter to the enduring charm of Ford’s most iconic muscle car.
The video opens with Hammond cruising in his Highland Green 1967 Mustang 390 GT, the same color and model as the legendary Bullitt car driven by Steve McQueen. Hammond admits he’s owned this Mustang for over twenty years, drawn to its simple, analog character and raw V8 power. “It’s about simple, good-looking speed and performance for the masses,” he says, describing why the Mustang has always meant more to him than any European exotic or over-engineered sports car.
“It’s about simple, good-looking speed and performance for the masses,” – Richard Hammond
But, as you might have guessed from the headline for this piece, there’s a twist. After testing the latest track-focused Mustang Dark Horse on DriveTribe, Hammond was so impressed that he bought the exact same car. The ’date,’ as he calls it, was his playful way of introducing his old classic Mustang to the new one, both representing different eras of American muscle. “We’re becoming a two-Mustang family,” he jokes as he pulls up to the meeting spot.
Seeing both Mustangs side by side, separated by 55 years, Hammond and his crew can’t help but point out the similarities and differences. The old GT rides on tiny 15-inch wheels, has a big old V8 and not much else. The Dark Horse, on the other hand, packs a limited-slip diff, Magnaride suspension, and sharp, modern steering. Yet despite the gap in age and tech, Hammond insists he can still feel the lineage behind the wheel.
Driving the new Mustang after the old one leaves Hammond reflecting on what makes the car so special. “Despite being 55 years apart, the feeling is the same: that big V8 up front, the relationship between driver, wheels, and engine. It’s still there,” he says, adding that the Mustang’s DNA has survived even as the world shifts toward electric cars.
The segment ends on a hopeful note. Hammond praises the potential of synthetic fuels that could keep V8 engines like those in his Mustangs running well into the future, coexisting with EVs. “It’s so important people still share this passion for analog cars with big engines,” he concludes, hinting at more Mustang-related projects to come from The Smallest Cog workshop.
Source: Drivetribe
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