This weekend, there’s a Mecum auction coming up in Houston, Texas. Big auction lots like these are always fun to peruse, to see if anything interesting (say, a real Drag-U-La) pops up. This auction, however, has an interesting category of cars: Three near-identical Eleanor Mustang replicas.
Having never seen Gone In 60 Seconds, I’ve never understood the appeal of this particular Mustang body kit. The ‘67 Mustang GT500 is already an incredibly cool car, and the Eleanor look is just... longer? I guess? Still, plenty of people seem to love it, so let’s look at all three Eleanors coming up for auction this weekend.
Third Place: Lot S122, 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback
In last place, we have what may be the lowest-effort Eleanor. Look at the panel gaps up and down the front end, the small stick-on vent down the side, the open-backed intakes on the rear haunches. This does get points for its supercharger, and its claimed 780 horsepower, but it loses them right back for those wheels. Too big, too chrome.
The interior, too, isn’t exactly period-accurate — a single-din radio sits above bright LED gauges, displaying only the word “LAWBOSS.” This is apparently not a song or podcast, but the official personal injury attorney of the Dallas Cowboys. Is an attorney of that firm the seller of this Eleanor? Were they the one that decided to move the fog lights, to make room for the intercooler?
Third Place: Lot S149.1, 1967 Ford Mustang
Next, in last place, we have another Eleanor. This one gains a couple point for being based on a ‘67 Mustang, like the original movie car, and for having gauges that don’t resemble the Fast and Furious font like the ‘68. It also has a supercharger, though no claimed horsepower numbers, and the panels on the front end mostly fit together. What a concept!
This Eleanor’s interior still falls victim to the modern radio plague, but at least the fold-out screen looks a bit more presentable when parked. The wheels are more accurate, and the fog lights are in the right place. It’s an improvement on the ‘68, but not by much.
Honorable Mention: Lot S234, 1968 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback
Here, we have a correct-era Mustang fastback with no pictures and no description. There’s no proof this isn’t an Eleanor, so it earns a spot on the list. But since there’s no proof it is, it only gets an honorable mention. If you wanna be competitive in the Automotive Eleanor Mustang Power Rankings Rubric, you’re gonna have to bring some more detail to the table. Like, literally one detail.
Third Place: Lot S140, 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback
Finally, in last place, we have the only official Eleanor on the list. That alone should earn it its place on the list, but the quality of photos in this listing certainly help its appeal. Imagine, taking high-quality photos of a car that you expect to trade for absurd sums of money at an auction.
This Eleanor has the only naturally-aspirated engine of the three, but that motor is a Cobra-branded 428 with fuel injection. Even better, there’s an actual period-correct radio sitting above the shifter. Gold star, whoever built this Eleanor. It’s still not better than not building it.