Squint and you might be able to tell what kind of car this is. That's right, it's a Mustang—but not just any old Mustang. This Mustang Daytona concept is one of five built by a company called Cars and Concepts. Ford displayed it at the Chicago, Detroit, and New York Auto Shows throughout 1979 as a preview of what was possible for the then-new Fox Body Mustang.
Visually, the Daytona concept doesn't look much like the production car with which it shares a platform. The orange-ish, red-ish paint wraps around custom bodywork meant to give the concept a smoother look than its factory Fox Body sibling.
The name "Daytona" was likely inspired by the tinted light coverings, front and rear—which even has a very subtle Mustang logo etched into the center of the grille. The concept employs other unique design cues, meanwhile, like an egg-crate grille, wire wheels, and, appropriate for the day, a t-top roof—which actually didn't make it into the production Mustang until 1981.
Mechanically, the Daytona concept has the same 5.0-liter V-8 and four-speed manual as the factory Fox Body, but it’s unclear if any modifications were actually made to the powertrain. There were subtle tweaks to the suspension, at least.
The interior is all-tan-everything with leather bucket seats, a leather-stitched steering wheel, an AM/FM radio, and a Daytona logo stamped onto the passenger dash.
The concept in question spent 20 years at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, following its 1979 tour of the auto show circuit. It was then lightly restored in 2005, and eventually fully restored for the concours circuit, where it won an Award of Distinction at the 2024 Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance.
Now, the Mustang Daytona concept is headed up for auction at the Mecum Indy 2025 sale, which kicks off on May 15. Early estimates put it anywhere in the $80,000 to $100,000 mark. A small price to pay for a rare piece of Mustang history.
