The Ford Mustang is unequivocally a true American icon, right alongside cowboy boots and blue denim jeans. The car you see here, however, is a largely Australian-developed model that was only ever sold here, and it might just be the ultimate Mustang road car.
It’s the result of a dream by legendary Aussie Ford racer Dick Johnson, and was created with the assistance of Herrod Performance in Melbourne.
While the ‘Dick Johnson Limited Edition’ name is often the sort of tag applied to cars that merely feature a silly plaque and some different alloy wheels, Herrod Performance founder Rob Herrod made it clear at the car’s launch six years ago: “this car is not a sticker pack”.
Rob and his company – then known as Herrod Motorsport – first came to the attention of Aussie performance car enthusiasts when he was commissioned to do development work for Ford Australia on its Tickford-modified V8 Falcon range.
Since then, Herrod has become a respected Mustang modifier, working with full cooperation of both Ford’s Australian and US divisions on programs such as the Mustang R-Spec. As a result, the provenance and legitimacy of this Mustang is undeniable.
Most of Herrod’s development effort and tech went into the nuts and bolts of this car. The engine is incredible: a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 that churns out a whopping 635kW (or just over 850hp in old money) and spins all the way to 7800rpm.
With power equivalent to the most powerful Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore ever made added up together, few cars can compare to such bonkers specifications as these.
For this application, the ‘Coyote’ motor has been extensively re-engineered and remanufactured, right down to custom-made, high-durability forged pistons inside the engine.
Of course, there’s also the positive displacement Whipple supercharger that sits atop the engine to force-feed it 11psi of boost.
But there are plenty of nice touches, too, such as the individually numbered badging and beautifully-trimmed Recaro bucket seats.
However, its purpose clearly shows with the fitment of a satin black roll cage where there were once rear seats. It also features racing harnesses in addition to the standard three-point seat belts up front for the driver and their no doubt very scared passenger.
As with all recent Mustangs, this car was delivered new to Australia as a factory right-hand drive model before this extensive re-engineering work was completed. Only 30 examples were produced with a choice of either white or black paint, and a six-speed manual or 10-speed auto transmission.
This particular car is part of the incredible selection of performance and collector cars to feature in RR Auctions’ inaugural February 2026 sale. You can find the full catalogue over on rrauctions.com.au, where bidding runs from February 15-25.
