The new book from Donald Farr finally got a new cover after Donald himself and many an enthusiast claimed that the former promotional cover may irritate buyers. This title below was just used for initial promotion by Motorbooks Int.

The most desired and obsolete genuine BOSS 302 book from 1982. Recent offers on ebay went up to 350$. 


Donald Farr is  the current  Editor of the famous Mustang Monthly Magazine,  published in the US and distributed worldwide. 
 
His career started as an amateur photograph contributing for SAAC publications and led to a job from Larry Dobbs as an editor for Mustang Monthly already in 1980.

His most famous book in the Mustang world is the BOSS 302 book pictured here that is still today a treasure. Even for longtime Mustang and BOSS enthusiasts. 

In our exclusive series of Interviews I am glad that Donald could take the time to answer my questions a second time after 2007, now in 2011... despite his busy schedule.

Note: All pictures from the Ponysite.de Editors own archives, not out of the book!

Walt Hane during the Boss 302 homologation inspection. See Walt Hane interview on this site

"Watch out, Donald may ride a Boss on the track"
1971 Watkins Glen/Sam Colman

Bud Moore signed promo plate

George Follmer still kicking  

The heart of a Boss 302 is it's high-revving engine

Dealer presentation of the Boss 302 plans

Exclusive Ponysite interview with Donald Farr   about the new Boss Mustang Book published by Motorbooks International  Out in July 2011, signed versions available at the  Boss 302 Reunion August 4th-7th, 2011 in Dearborn

"If the book sells really, really well,
 then maybe I can afford one!" 
Donald Farr responds to our questions about the  new  BOSS Mustang book and to whom he indebts a lot for a major part of the 2012 content - John Clor.
An interview conducted by Wolfgang Kohrn/Ponysite.de

Q: Your new book is titled: "The Return of the Baddest Mustang". It implies that the book is more targeted to the owners of the new Boss 302. True or false?

A: False. That was Motorbooks’ original working sub-title, which was used in early promotional material. I felt that it made the book sound like it is only about the new Boss 302, not to mention that fact that the Boss 302 doesn’t really qualify as the “baddest” Mustang, what with Boss 429s in 1969-70 and 800hp Shelby Super Snakes today. 

So I’m working with Motorbooks to come up with a sub-title that reflects the fact that the book is a history of the original 1969-‘70s and a documentation of the development of the 2012. There wouldn’t be a new Boss 302 without the great history and racing heritage behind the original.

Q: Which new topics or chapters will it contain? Build sheets, production details, rare finds, T/A and A/S Boss 302, more production details, people interviews?

A: Basically, the book follows the format of the original, with five more chapters added for the new Boss, including the Boss 302R. There are a lot of new 1969-70 photos, both historical and more recently of low-mileage examples (thanks to Bob Perkins!). I’ve become acquainted with a retired Ford engineer, John Kranig, an original 1970 Boss 302 owner (he still has it!) who acquired 1969-70 engineering paperwork from Don Morgan, a retired engineer who worked on the Boss 302 program. 

John was kind enough to allow me into his home to make copies of pertinent information for the book, like the actual memo from the meeting when the Cleveland heads were approved to replace the Tunnel-Ports. There was a lot of insight in the paperwork to help me better understand the timeline and how the 1969-70 Boss 302 was created and developed.

Interestingly, the rev limiter was a big debate because it prevented the engine from reaching its horsepower potential. I found a hand-written memo from the week before Job 1 that cancelled the rev limiter. Of course, the warranty guys must have won that battle because it did end up on all Boss 302s.

Q: The classic Boss owners certainly expect the book to be based on the old one with many more details. Do you have anything about that in the new book?

A: The 1969-70 chapters are definitely based on my original book, Mustang Boss 302: Ford’s Trans-Am Ponycar, from 1982. As you may know, I’ve been working to revise the book, with the hopes of publishing it to tie-in with the launch of the new Boss 302, which I had been hearing rumors about for the past several years. I was pleasantly surprised when Ford approached me about revising my book and adding the 2012 Boss chapters to it. Ford wanted a history book to connect the original 1969 and 1970 Boss 302s to the new car.

My friend John Clor from Ford Racing was initially tasked to write the book, and he would have done a wonderful job because he was part of Ford’s in-house focus group that provided input and feedback during the development of the new car. When he learned that I was working to revise my book, he figured it would be best to have just one definitive book instead of two books coming out at the same time. I am deeply indebted to John for that recommendation.

Q: What does the new B302 mean to you? Is it the same feeling about it like it was in 1969?

A: The Boss 302 – specifically the Grabber Blue ’70 that I bought in 1974 - is why I’m a magazine editor today. It’s great seeing a new car that pays homage to the car that influenced me so much in the 1970s. It’s also great to see the new Boss 302Rs in vintage 1969 and 1970 colors. By the way, the Boss 302R just got its first win in Grand-Am.

Q: How long did you work on this B302 book that arrives in August 11?

A: I’ve been working to revise my original 1969-70 book for the past five years or so, ever since I started hearing rumors about the possibility of new Boss 302. The book has been out-of-print for a number of years, so I figured it would be smart to time the release of the new book with the introduction of the new car. Of course, Ford did a good job keeping the 2012 quiet.

Although I had been gathering new photos and revising the copy, it wasn’t until John Clor told me about the 2012 - under the promise of confidentiality, of course - and proposed the book project that I started working on the new book in earnest. John and I talked back in May 2010, but it took several months to nail down the publishing deal with Motorbooks. That happened last November, so I immediately travelled to Detroit so John could line up interviews with the engineers and other people behind the creation of the 2012 Boss 302. Basically, I finished up the 1969-70 chapters in December, leaving me the month of January to work on the 2012 chapters. Let’s just say that it was pretty hectic for a while.

The August delivery date must be from Amazon. The date I have from Motorbooks is July, which I’m hoping for because I’d like to have books at the Boss Reunion in Dearborn on August 4-7. That’s going to be an awesome event. I’m working with Randy Ream from the Boss 302 Registry to hopefully get some of the engineers there from both the 1969-70 and 2012 programs.

Q: How can you write a book about a car that you haven't driven yet? It is a miracle that Ford maybe forgot you?

A: I was disappointed that I wasn’t invited to the 2012 Boss 302 media event at Laguna Seca. I guess Mustang Monthly didn’t fit the criteria. Hopefully I’ll be invited to one of the Boss TrackAttack events at Miller Motorsports Park.

I should point out that several people at Ford did try to get me into a new Boss on a couple of occasions. Once was during my visit to Detroit, when photographer John Moore lined up a shoot with Mark Storm’s Grabber Orange 1970 and a 2012 prototype from the assembly plant. I had originally planned to help with the shoot, with “instructions” to make sure I drove the 2012, but at the last minute I got called to World Headquarters to interview VP Jim Farley. You don’t get interviews like that very often, so I had to miss out on my chance to drive the Boss. Every time I had an opportunity like that, something happened.

Q: Are you going to buy a new one?

A: If my book sells really, really well, then maybe I can afford one! I would probably wait for the 2013 model because I tend to like the ’70-style stripes (wink, wink).

Q: Which other Special Editions do you expect in the near future?

A: I’m as much in the dark about that as anyone else. I hear the same rumours but rarely do I have reliable insight for future models. I’m curious about what will happen when Ford totally revamps the Mustang, for 2015, I hear. Will it be smaller? Will it have EcoBoost? Will it have a V-8?

Q: Do you foresee a co-existence of the Boss 302 with the Shelbys? Shelby seems to focus (unfortunately) more on "pimped" post-title cars, while Ford creates rather character cars with a classic touch.

A: It’s almost like 1969-70 again, with Shelbys and Boss 302s on the showroom floor together. The good old days are here again but it’s probably not going to last too long. Unfortunately, there’s another parallel to the late 1960s, early 1970s in that we’re facing escalating fuel prices and fuel-economy mandates. It’s amazing what Ford and other manufacturers have done with performance cars; who would have dreamed that we’d have a 305hp V-6 Mustang GT that gets 31 mpg? But I’m afraid V-8 cars may be on the way out.

Q: I had recently an interview with a Ford marketing guy and he mentioned that 1,500- 2,000 cars is already an affordable niche market car for Ford, reason enough to build it (if based on an existing platform, of course.)

A: Ford VP Jim Farley told me that the 2012 Boss 302 was always predicted as a “profitable deal.” He said that’s why the car was approved while at the same time GM and Chrysler were accepting government bail-outs. 

Q: Do you think the new Boss 302 theme will be carried beyond 2015?

A: My gut feeling is that the Boss 302 is a two-year program. After that, I think the name will go back on the shelf until when – and if - the time is right for another Boss – as long as the current enthusiast-based Mustang team is still at Ford. We’re very fortunate that they waited until the time was right to bring back the Boss 302 name. There were earlier proposals, but certain people stood up and said it couldn’t be a “sticker” car. The new 5.0-liter engine sealed the deal.

Thank you very much for the insight, Donald. I wish you get your hands soon on a steering wheel of a new Boss 302, before your books comes out!  

2012 Boss 302

2012 Racing Boss