It was February, 1968 when Bunkie Knudsen arrived in Dearborn. Henry Ford II had successfully recruited Knudsen from Pontiac, after Ed Cole was appointed President at GM. In September of 1969, Knudsen was shown the door but the impact he'd had at Ford would continue to be felt for years.
Photos:
Russo and Steele
One of those significant things was the 1969 BOSS 302 Mustang. Kar Kraft, near Detroit, built the example shown here for Bud Moore Racing. This Boss 302 made its track debut at Daytona in February 1969 with Parnelli Jones at the wheel. The Shelby American team later used it. This remarkable icon of Mustang history will be auctioned at the Russo and Steele Monterey 10th Anniversary Collector Automobile Auction, August 12 - 14, at the Monterey Marriott Hotel.
On arriving in Dearborn, Knudsen lured a number of people to come with him to Ford, including Z/28 designer, Larry Shinoda. Ford's Trans Am season in 1968 was dismal and fielding a successful car in 1969 was a top priority. Knudsen knew that the Z/28 Camaro, created with SCCA Trans-Am road racing in mind, could handle and stop as well as it could accelerate.
Shinoda created the unique Boss 302 styling, while Kar Kraft handled the suspension development. Ford engineer Matt Donner was responsible for the Boss 302 chassis, which impressed the critics with the way it hugged the road. The engine was a Ford 5.0L block with the new 351 Cleveland heads. Full race versions could turn out 450 HP.
The Boss 302's entry in Trans Am racing was electrifying and responsible for a season of epic competition with the Z/28. Even though the Camaro won half as many races during the season, GM bested Ford in the manufacturer's race, 78 points to 64. The following year would see the BOSS 302 take the championship.
Today, there are but four 1969 Ford or Shelby Team cars surviving. There is this car, a later-production #16 car driven mainly by George Follmer, and the #1 and #2 Shelby Boss 302 team cars.
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Parnelli Jones' 1969 Boss 302 Trans Am Race Car
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