Side marker lights
Marker lights on the sides of the front and rear fenders. They were new for 1968, as government regulations began to take effect.8910
Class of '68 · Ford Mustang · 1967–1968 body · first generation
1968Ford Mustang
The last year of the 1967–68 body, and the year of the Bullitt car.
The year in brief
Production fell to 317,404 cars from 472,121 in 1967, a drop of 32.8 percent.12
The 1967–68 body is 2.0 inches longer and 2.7 inches wider than the 1964½–66 car: 183.6 against 181.6 inches, and 70.9 against 68.2.5one source
Hardtops made up almost four in five cars sold. The fastback accounted for 42,581 and the convertible for 25,376.12
The story of the year
The Bullitt cars
Warner Bros. bought two Highland Green 1968 Mustang GT fastbacks with the 390 V8 and a four-speed manual for the 1968 film Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen.67
Their VINs run in sequence: 8R02S125558 and 8R02S125559. Max Balchowsky modified both before filming. Car '558 did the stunt driving, and '559 was used for McQueen's close-ups.67
Car '558 was badly damaged, went to a scrapyard and was presumed lost until it turned up in Mexico in 2016.6one source
Car '559 sold at Mecum Auctions on 10 January 2020 for $3.7 million including fees.56one source
How to spot a 1968
What tells it apart from a 1967.
A plainer side scoop
The 1967 has two vents in the scoop ahead of the rear wheel. The 1968 has a single, smaller insert with a chrome trim line.8911
No grille bars
The horizontal bars across the 1967 grille are gone. Mustang Reloaded ties them to the fog lamps of the GT package.8910
A halo around the grille
A halo runs around the grille opening.8one source
Script lettering
The block MUSTANG letters behind the front wheel became script lettering.9one source
Tail-lamp trim
Each of the three tail lamps sits in a chrome surround. On the 1968 the surround carries a black stripe.11one source
Production12
317,404 cars, by body.
Every trim line
| Body | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Hardtop | Standard | 233,472 |
| Bench seat | 6,113 | |
| Deluxe | 9,009 | |
| Deluxe, bench seat | 853 | |
| All hardtops | 249,447 | |
| Fastback | Standard | 33,585 |
| Bench seat | 1,079 | |
| Deluxe | 7,661 | |
| Deluxe, bench seat | 256 | |
| All fastbacks | 42,581 | |
| Convertible | Standard | 22,037 |
| Deluxe | 3,339 | |
| All convertibles | 25,376 | |
| Total | 317,404 | |
Trim rows from Maine Mustang. MustangSpecs gives the same body totals: 42,581 fastbacks and 25,376 convertibles.
Engines134
8 engines. The letter is the engine code in the VIN.
Codes from Maine Mustang, checked against Wikipedia's table and CJ Pony Parts, which the table cites. Where they disagree, see the rulings below.
Price when new1one source
Base retail prices in 1968 dollars, before options.
Colors12one source
16 factory colors, by number of cars. 14 of the 16 color names are confirmed by a second source112; the swatches are approximate screen colors, not paint matches.
Lime GoldI
Candyapple RedT
Acapulco BlueD
Wimbledon WhiteM
Highland GreenR
Sunlit GoldY
Meadowlark YellowW
Gulfstream AquaF
Royal MaroonB
Diamond BlueN
Sea Foam GreenO
Brittany BlueQ
Presidential BlueX
Tahoe TurquoiseU
Raven BlackA
Pebble Beige6
CJ Pony Parts lists 16 colors that add up to 311,472 cars, 98.1 percent of production; the rest are not broken out. Maine Mustang lists 14 of the same names; Raven Black and Diamond Blue appear only in CJ Pony Parts' list. The counts come from one source.
Reading the VIN14
A 1968 VIN has 11 characters. Type one in, and the decoder reads it against the code tables on this page.
8R02S125559167 · The VIN of the Bullitt hero car: 1968, San Jose, fastback, 390 V8, unit 125559.
The code table
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 8 | Model year (1968) |
| F · R · T | Plant: Dearborn · San Jose · Metuchen |
| 01 · 02 · 03 | Body: hardtop · fastback · convertible |
| T · C · F · J · X · S · W · R | Engine code (table above) |
| 100001 → | Consecutive unit number |
Where to find it: On the top edge of the dash, passenger side, visible through the windshield.13one source
Questions about the 1968
How many 1968 Ford Mustangs were made?
Ford built 317,404 for the 1968 model year: 249,447 hardtops, 42,581 fastbacks, 25,376 convertibles.12
How can you tell a 1968 Mustang from a 1967?
Six signs, each explained under «How to spot» on this page: side marker lights; a plainer side scoop; no grille bars; a halo around the grille; script lettering; tail-lamp trim.891011
What engines did the 1968 Ford Mustang have?
Eight engine codes, from the 200 cu in inline-six to the 428 cu in V8. The engine table on this page gives every code and rating, and the rulings cover the disputed ones.134
How much did a 1968 Ford Mustang cost new?
Base retail prices, before options: hardtop $2,578; fastback $2,689; convertible $2,814.1one source
What colors did the 1968 Ford Mustang come in?
CJ Pony Parts counts 16 factory colors. The most common was Lime Gold, on 42,724 cars.12one source
Where is the VIN on a 1968 Ford Mustang?
On the top edge of the dash, passenger side, visible through the windshield.13one source
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict we found for 1968, and how we settled it. All rulings.
Settled
How much production fell in 1968
Our ruling: 472,121 to 317,404 is a fall of 32.8 percent, not 22. We use the figures and recompute the percentage.
What each source says (1)
- «down 22% from 1967 with sales of 472,121»2one source
Settled
Engine code F
Our ruling: F is the 302 with a 2-barrel carburetor, rated at 210 hp in 1968. Maine Mustang's own 1968 list gives the 302 four-barrel twice, at 210 and 230 hp, so one entry is wrong, and its 1969 list calls F the 302 two-barrel. CJ Pony Parts gives F as the 2-barrel too, and so does Wikipedia's table, which cites it.
What each source says (4)
- F = 302 cu in 4-barrel, 210 hp, and J = 302 cu in 4-barrel, 230 hp1one source
- 1969 list: «302 cid 2v V-8 220 hp F»14one source
- F = 302 cu in 2-barrel, 210 hp3one source
- F = 302 cu in 2-barrel, 210 hp, 1968–19734one source
Open
Power of the 200 six (T-code) in 1968
Our ruling: Unresolved: 115 or 120 hp. Wikipedia's table and CJ Pony Parts both say 115, but the table cites CJ Pony Parts, so they count as one source against Maine Mustang's 120. Maine Mustang's own 1969 list has 115.
What each source says (3)
- 200 cu in six, 1-barrel, 120 hp1one source
- 200 six: 120 hp in 1967, 115 hp in 19683one source
- «For the engines manufactured between 1968-1969, the horsepower inexplicably dropped to 115 hp»4one source
Open
The X-code 390 two-barrel
Our ruling: CJ Pony Parts lists the X-code, and so does Wikipedia's table, which cites CJ Pony Parts among other sources. Maine Mustang leaves it out. We include it; its rating, 270 or 280 hp, stays open.
What each source says (3)
- Not in the 1968 engine list1one source
- X = 390 cu in 2-barrel, 270 hp, 19683one source
- X = 390 cu in 2-barrel, 280 hp, 1968; 733 cars: 477 hardtops, 189 fastbacks, 67 convertibles4one source
Open
The W-code 427
Our ruling: We keep the code, because it appears in the 1968 listings, but mark it as never confirmed in a built car.
What each source says (3)
- W = 427 cu in 4-barrel, 390 hp1one source
- «There are no accounts of any Mustangs actually being produced with this engine»4one source
- Not in the 1967–68 engine table3one source
Settled
CJ Pony Parts' 1968 fastback figure
Our ruling: We use 33,585. CJ Pony Parts' rows add to 319,404, exactly 2,000 more than the 317,404 total every source agrees on.
What each source says (3)
- Standard fastback 35,58515one source
- Standard fastback 33,585; all fastbacks 42,5811one source
- 42,581 fastbacks2one source
Open
How the 1968 convertibles split
Our ruling: Both add up to the 25,376 convertibles that MustangSpecs confirms, so the total is settled and the split is not. We show Maine Mustang's split until a third source settles it.
What each source says (2)
- Standard 22,037, deluxe 3,3391one source
- Standard 19,224, deluxe 3,573, bench seat 2,57915one source
Sources
- 1968 Mustang Technical Data Maine Mustang · read 2026-10-10
- 1968 Ford Mustang Production Numbers MustangSpecs · read 2026-10-10
- Ford Mustang (first generation): 1967–68 engine table Wikipedia · read 2026-10-10
- 1964-1973 Mustang Engine Codes CJ Pony Parts · read 2026-10-11
- Ford Mustang (first generation) Wikipedia · read 2026-10-10
- Bullitt (film) Wikipedia · read 2026-10-10
- 1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt Movie Car – Ultimate Guide MustangSpecs · read 2026-10-10
- Spotter's Guide: Identifying The 1964.5-1968 Mustang Champion Cooling Systems · read 2026-10-11
- 1967 vs. 1968 Ford Mustang Differences Mustang Reloaded · read 2026-10-11
- Classic Mustang Spotters Guide 1964-1/4-1973 Autotrader Classics · read 2026-10-11
- At A Glance: How To Spot Differences In '64.5-'68 Mustang Street Muscle Magazine · read 2026-10-11
- 1965-1973 Mustang Production Numbers: production by color CJ Pony Parts · read 2026-10-11
- 1968 Ford Mustang VIN Information MustangSpecs · read 2026-10-10
- 1969 Mustang Technical Data Maine Mustang · read 2026-10-11
- 1965-1973 Mustang Production Numbers CJ Pony Parts · read 2026-10-11
Keep going
Three more years.
1966Ford MustangThe last year of the original body, with 607,568 cars built.607,568 built
1967Ford MustangThe first restyle, the first big-block V8, and almost twice as many fastbacks as in 1966.472,121 built (disputed)
1969Ford MustangA longer body and four new names: Mach 1, Grandé, Boss 302 and Boss 429.299,824 builtSee the whole first generation.
Dimensions, production year by year and every ruling, 1964½–1973.