Driving Velocity Restorations’ 1967 Ford Mustang fastback coupe

Holy retro pony, Batman!

It’s quite a sight, isn’t it? What you’re looking at is a classic 1967 Ford Mustang fastback coupe. Cars like this simply aren’t built this way any more. Except, in a sense, they are-because this is also a freshly built Mustang from Velocity Restorations, a company known for reimagining classic American metal with modern upgrades.

Explain how it’s modernised.

Velocity focuses on bringing back older versions of the Ford Mustang, Bronco and pick-up trucks, and it also tackles other classics such as Chevrolet Blazers and vintage Scouts, to name just a couple. Beyond the full restoration work, the company modernises the powertrain, rewires the car with an updated electrical system, and replaces the HVAC with contemporary kit that’s far more likely to actually function.

On top of that, it adds a handful of present-day conveniences, such as a Bluetooth-capable radio, or-on certain trim levels-an infotainment system that includes a reversing camera. The suspension gains bespoke components, the brakes are replaced with a new system, and the cabin is fully refurbished.

Sounds like it’s actually a brand new car.

In practice, yes: it’s a bespoke car built into the shell of a 1967 Mustang. Purists who demand absolute originality may not appreciate that, so anyone obsessing over provenance should probably shop elsewhere. It’s very easy to go full 'ship of Theseus' on the idea and miss what is, in reality, a genuinely intriguing build of a car that’s often remembered through rose-tinted spectacles.

This Mustang is from Velocity’s “Signature” series, which includes most of what the company offers. The “Street” series sits above it, adding a few extra luxury details and some additional modern gadgets.

Beneath the bonnet sits Ford’s well-known third-gen 5.0-litre Coyote V8-crammed into an engine bay that’s clearly tighter than ideal. It’s supported by custom pieces including new headers and a radiator, among other parts, and the battery is relocated to the rear due to the lack of room up front. This 460hp V8 is paired with Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission, although buyers can opt for a six-speed manual instead-which, for reasons that will become clear, is the option they really ought to choose.

The whole thing is built around a custom Roadster Shop Spec chassis, using a nine-inch rear axle from Ford, Fox coilover springs, Baer disc brakes on all four corners, and a bespoke fuel tank. The package is completed by 17in aluminium wheels and a performance exhaust.

What’s it like driving this Frankenstein’s monster of a Mustang?

Start with the headline positive: this take on a ’67 Mustang is absolutely gorgeous. Finished in black with contrasting 17in aluminium wheels, it manages to look both elegant and intimidating. With the yellow fog lamps completing the look, it comes across as properly classic and tough. It also has the muscle to match, thanks to an engine far stronger than the car was ever designed to handle. Put simply, it’s the classic Mustang as we imagine it in our minds, rather than the car’s real-world performance back in the day.

Even so, the blend of modern components and vintage bones takes a moment to process, and that makes the first climb into Velocity’s monster Mustang feel mildly daunting. Inside, the cabin is neatly restored yet intentionally straightforward; aside from an off-the-shelf Bluetooth radio, a modern rear-view mirror and digital gauges, very little gives away the “mod” element of the restomod.

The window handles are electrically operated but styled to resemble the old-school cranks, and the rest of the switchgear behaves much as it always did-including the lights, the wipers, and side mirrors that stubbornly refused to hold their position. The standout feature is a beautiful wooden steering wheel, which adds a richer tactile feel and somehow makes you nostalgic for an era you likely never lived through.

Fire it up and the 5.0 gives the Mustang a thrilling, hefty shimmy-an energetic sensation that also has a habit of shaking anything not firmly fastened until it rattles, shifts, or threatens to drop off. It sounds like criticism, but it’s largely part of the charm of operating something with vintage character. In fact, much of our time in the Velocity Mustang involved noticing how many everyday features we take for granted in modern cars, while also enjoying a wonderfully analogue machine that feels more like a living, breathing thing than a sterile appliance.

What were some of the difficulties driving it?

Some of the challenges came from piloting a car that feels slightly out of step with modern roads; much of the rest was simply the learning curve of getting comfortable in what is, essentially, a one-off fusion of parts that don’t usually coexist. You can’t assume anything. How large is the petrol tank? Is that gauge accurate, or purely cosmetic? If it’s real, has it been calibrated properly? The same questions apply to the speedometer. What brakes are fitted, and are they working as intended? The result is that you drive with intense, hawk-like attention to every detail, because nothing can be presumed to behave perfectly.

Anyone who’s driven older cars will recognise that mindset as normal-and thankfully, the Velocity Mustang ultimately shows that it can deliver the classic-car experience without forcing you to endure that side of it.

If there’s one genuinely non-charming, old-fashioned thumbs-down here, it’s the decision to use Ford’s 10-speed-an automatic that manages to dull brand new Mustangs, never mind this one. In a modern Mustang it makes the car feel less lively, it’s overly busy when you’re trying to drive in a sporty way, and its so-called manual mode isn’t especially usable. In this build, it’s worse again: shifts are hesitant, slow, and extremely clunky even in everyday driving. The instrumentation suggests you can slot it into manual, but in reality it merely switches into a more aggressive “sport” setting that makes the car lurch about as if someone is learning a manual gearbox in a rare, expensive sports car.

Worst of all, it blunts the enjoyment of having that 5.0-litre sitting ahead of you. With so many ratios to cycle through, a hard throttle input that should deliver a roaring rev feels like a tease, because the transmission never quite lets the engine fully stretch its legs. Overall, it adds unnecessary complexity to the car’s driving behaviour and stands out as a near-unforgivable flaw in an otherwise spectacular machine-and, notably, any of the other issues discussed would be down to the driver, not the build.

How is it to drive otherwise?

It helps that the Velocity Mustang is so undeniably charming. Once you look past the dreadful gearbox, you’re left with a car that can’t help but make people grin. Its oddities become part of its personality, and learning to work with them creates a kind of attachment. Transmission apart, the engine remains riotous, sending serious power to the rear wheels with alarming ease, and it doesn’t take long to remember that the digital safety nets we’re used to simply aren’t here to rescue you.

The modern braking system and sport suspension feel less like tools for razor-sharp handling and more like sensible updates to bring an old car closer to today’s baseline expectations. It will get through a corner, but you do it with care, and it’s at its best on long rural stretches with the windows down, singing along to your favourite songs.

In town, the Mustang can be a little tense at first thanks to the limited visibility and the need for lightning-fast reactions in traffic, but we found most people were remarkably considerate of its space. Drive it around New York-somewhere people have truly seen everything-and strangers will approach you at traffic lights simply to talk about it. Other drivers, who normally wouldn’t yield an inch, happily make room just for another look or the chance to shout a compliment.

There’s real value in a car that isn’t only enjoyable for you, but also brightens everyone else’s day. That alone makes this Mustang worth it.