USA 250th Anniversary Edition Vehicles

[Jim Oaks]

I've been waiting to see if any of the vehicle manufacturers are going to release any 250th Anniversary Edition vehicles. Back in 1976 there were a ton of them. Hell, even the Ohio State Highway Patrol added a red and blue stripe to the front fenders of their white cruisers to celebrate.

I see Dodge has some special editions:

I just wish the colors were red, white, and blue. I especially like the American Flag in the leather seats.

I was thrilled to see Southwest Airlines new livery:

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Makes me proud every time I see it.

American Airlines is supposedly doing something like this:

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Looks like they're just sticking '250' on their current livery's.

If you find any vehicles celebrating the 250th Anniversary, or photos of vehicles from the 1976 Bicentennial, feel free to share.

This guys truck was pretty cool...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I was thrilled to see Southwest Airlines new livery:

View attachment 142564
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It sounds like they are only doing two of those to compliment their first patriotic aircraft.

Southwest Newsroom

www.swamedia.com

The other style is pretty cool too but is from a couple years ago:

Southwest Newsroom

www.swamedia.com

Otherwise they seem committed to continue using their common blue livery for the rest of their fleet.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Jim, you should print a limited edtion 250th birthday TRS windshield banner... that would look sweet on TRS-2 and on my 97..

Do it!

AJ

 

[Jim Oaks]

Way to go BNSF!!

 

[Ranger850]

https://fordauthority.com/2026/05/new-ford-mustang-gtd-spirit-of-america-celebrates-250th-anniversary/

Then we have Cheby doing this "Stars and Steel" thing.

Site Maintenance

 

[Jim Oaks]

Reading and Northern Railroad caboose.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Jeep showing their American pride.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

View attachment 142835

https://fordauthority.com/2026/05/new-ford-mustang-gtd-spirit-of-america-celebrates-250th-anniversary/

Then we have Cheby doing this "Stars and Steel" thing.

Site Maintenance

View attachment 142836

It is kind of bad, at first I thought the Mustang was one of the new squinty eyed Charger things.

Hardly looks like a Mustang lol

 

[Jim Oaks]

That Mustang is $300k. There's no way I'd spend $300k on a Mustang. For $300k I want something legendary with brand recognition. Where simply speaking its name speaks for itself. A base model Mustang is $32k. I don't want to spend $300k for a Mustang and then have to qualify and explain what it is to defend it. You say GTD and people think you have a Mustang GT.

Ford screwed themselves years ago by having a plain Jane car and performance car with the same name.

Chevy on the other hand, if you say Corvette, people instantly know you're talking about a performance car. You don't have to explain and qualify it.

Ford could have given the Corvette competition with the GT40 / Ford GT, but they only made limited numbers and were selective about who could own them. They should have made that car available to whoever wanted one like the Corvette.

Ford wants the Mustang to be a super car, but no matter what they do, it's still just a modified $32k car.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Speaking of mustangs, I hauled a 1970 Boss Mustang back to the shop. It's going out for a rebuild soon. I'll get pics tomorrow. Both a boss 302 and a 429 scj engines on a pallet.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I took a 302 out of a 1970 Mustang and put it in my 1983 Ranger and showed it who was Boss.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That Mustang is $300k. There's no way I'd spend $300k on a Mustang. For $300k I want something legendary with brand recognition. Where simply speaking its name speaks for itself. A base model Mustang is $32k. I don't want to spend $300k for a Mustang and then have to qualify and explain what it is to defend it. You say GTD and people think you have a Mustang GT.

Ford screwed themselves years ago by having a plain Jane car and performance car with the same name.

Chevy on the other hand, if you say Corvette, people instantly know you're talking about a performance car. You don't have to explain and qualify it.

Ford could have given the Corvette competition with the GT40 / Ford GT, but they only made limited numbers and were selective about who could own them. They should have made that car available to whoever wanted one like the Corvette.

Ford wants the Mustang to be a super car, but no matter what they do, it's still just a modified $32k car.

Falcon was the plain jane car. Mustang was a dressed up sporty Falcon. Shelby started putting naughty thoughts in Ford's head when he started building GT-350's to run with Vettes. It wasn't until after a few years Ford really started trying to hop them up.

Chevy also answered the Falcon with Chevy II, whooped up and called it a Nova which by rights should have been their answer to the Mustang but then they also felt the need to field the Camaro. Then all their other brands (Pontiac, Olds, Buick) had competitors with their own designed engines etc as well. The Mustang competed with all of them. Initially Ford had the Cougar but wasn't really much more than a dressed up Mustang before it ballooned into a boat like the T-Bird.

Ford tried (and bumbled, and then bumbled it worse) answering the Corvette with the Thunderbird.

Torino was kind of a swing and a miss so the Mustang was trying to run with all the Road Runners and Chevelles too.

IMO Ford couldn't read the market worth a crap and accidentally bumped into a winner with the Mustang. Having it be their one and only forced them to hone it, it had to stay cheap to keep the secretaries on board but it had to be able to swallow a 429 and run with the SS's. Playing off everyone is a huge market and that is why it printed money for them.

Did it work? Was it a mistake? Go ask whoever is buying a new Camaro/Challenger/'Cuda/Charger/Chevelle/Nova/Firebird/GTO/AMX ect in 2026 why they opted for that over a Mustang.

GT-40 at a glance would have been a nice Corvette killer performancewise but they were a pretty raw/crude race car. I think they would have been more likely putting down roots on dealer lots like the Daytona 500's and Superbirds which were probably a better street car. Like even just the shifter, they were RH drive because they were originally from England and the shifter was in the door jam. Reengineer everything and put in the left door jamb so the driver can have the unique experiance of shifting with his left? Stuff like that won't fly for a street car. The big section of the roof above the seat that was made into the door was so the driver could drop in from above to get in the thing. I don't think they would have sold very well against the much more civil and faster than most people needed Corvette. IMO they should have pulled their head out and fixed the T-Bird with its second generation.