Special Edition autos have been around for decades, some of which seem to have fulfilled the creator’s intention better than others, although just the fact that a car can be deemed a promotional vehicle is often enough to merit some extra attention in the marketplace.  The Ford Mustang examples are no exception, with one of the more well-thought-out and executed ideas being the 1995 Mario Andretti Edition GT, such as this one here on Craigslist in Salina, Kansas.  With less than 12,000 miles on the ticker and garage storage, save for the few times it was driven, this rare pony just might end up fetching the $29,700 the owner is hoping for, or at least close.  Mitchell G., thank you for providing the great tip here!

Information on these cars isn’t exactly plentiful on the net, but with production halting at 60, that’s understandable.  What does seem factual is that Texaco was sponsoring Mario Andretti during his swan song motorsport season, and the powers that be in that business thought a special edition Mustang honoring the racing legend was a fine idea.  The marketing department must have agreed that a great way to create lasting brand attention would be handing keys out to 44 fortunate contest winners, accomplished through a promotion called the Texaco Horsepower Motorsports Sweepstakes giveaway.

An obvious question is what happened to the remaining cars that weren’t given out as prizes?  Rumor has it that the 16 leftovers were sold to Texaco executives, and reader Louie pointed out that the seller says a corporate-level employee formerly owned this one.  Looking around at the photos, the car appears well-cared for, with the red finish looking about as good as it would have back in ’95, and the special Mario Andretti striping above the rear wheel seeming to have held up just as nicely.  When it’s in the recessed position, the tonneau cover hiding the top is a fun and attention-getting add-on as well.

However, the modifications aren’t just cosmetic here, as a Vortech supercharger was placed on top of the 5.0 for additional thrust under the hood.  The engine bay’s appearance is just about as clean as the Mustang is outside, but the performance enhancements don’t stop there.  These also came with some upgraded suspension components, plus a Brembo braking system to help grind things to a halt in a hurry, should the need arise.  A 5-speed manual transmission sends the power to a torque-sensing Trac-Loc rear end.

It’s hard to miss the stand-out red shifter and seat material, but the boost gauges blend in so well that you’d almost think every 1995 Mustang came with these on top of the dash.  One of the best features inside is on the passenger-side airbag cover, as Mario hand-signed every one of these 60 cars in this area, so make sure to avoid any front-end collisions to ensure the preservation of the racing legend’s signature for future generations to enjoy.  At $29,700, I’m not finding the price unreasonable, but the car has been on the market for over three weeks, so perhaps the seller may be ready to hear some offers.  What’s a fair price for this less-than-12k-mile 1995 Mario Andretti Edition Mustang GT?