In John Wick’s hands, anything can be weaponized — especially a muscle car.
From “John Wick” to “John Wick: Chapter 2,” the world’s most wanted hitman steered his 1969 Mustang like he was wielding a sword or a TR1 with precision and focus. John isn’t just capable of running over the tons of bad guys going after him; the man the Russian criminal underworld calls “baba yaga” has also slapped a guy into a metal pole, knocking him out with his car.
Small wonder then that many fans want to know about the car the way they want to know what John Wick’s back tattoo meant.
But here’s the thing: the John Wick car in the first movie may not be the car you think he’s driving.
What Kind of Car Does John Wick Drive?
John Wick or baba yaga did drive a Ford Mustang in the first movie. When Iosef first meets John, the clueless punk refers to the car as a Boss 429 and then asks if it’s a ’70. John answers it’s a ’69. Because John didn’t correct Iosef about the model, only the year, we’re left to believe that the John Wick Mustang is a Boss 429.
We’re left to believe that in the same way that we’d love to go on believing Keanu Reeves is a card carrying member of an international ring of assassins — and that he’s the baddest mofo of them all.
So what was John Wick’s car in the movie?
Turns out he was behind the wheel of a Mach 1, which has some similarities to a Boss 429. Both have the same coupe body style. Both were produced with the same year models. Both are considered American classics. But one is purportedly faster than the other and one is engineered with manual transmission.
In “John Wick: Chapter 2,” you’ll recall the opening where John finally gets a hold of his missing car and clutches the automatic shifter, putting it in reverse (and crushing a bad guy in the process, of course). The Boss 429 has a four-speed manual transmission.
In terms of drivetrain, the Boss 429 could hit zero to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds and 100 mph in 13 seconds. Mach 1 could reach zero to 62 mph in under 6 seconds and a quarter mile in 14 seconds with a speed of 103 mph. When it comes to speed, the Boss 429 can hit 118 mph whereas the Mach 1 can careen at 128 mph. As for horsepower, the Mach 1 has a 250 HP whereas the Boss 429 is at 379 HP.
Which do you think John would want to be driving in New York when he’s being chased by other assassins: the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 or the Mach 1?
The word is also out that John’s lethal car is the Mach 1 because Ford licensed Classic Restorations to produce it with a fully-restored 1969-70 Mach 1 body. It’s called “Hitman,” and this muscle car is made to order, with options for 18 colors. But if you want to channel John Wick, we suggest going with the Hitman Grey or Beagle Black Wick.
How much would the “Hitman” set you back? Classic Restorations prices it at $169,000 (to start). The cost of a Ford Mustang Boss 429 is pricier, starting at $209,000 from the same company.
If you’re short on cash but still want the John Wick look on the road, you could settle for a 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback. It has the same SportsRoof as the Mach 1 without the price tag.
Did John Wick Drive a Camaro?
Why did the movie make it seem like John was driving a Boss 429? Likely because of movie history.
The Boss 429 has been a stellar “cast member” in some of the biggest Hollywood flicks, namely “Gone in 60 Seconds” and “Lethal Weapon.” So John Wick’s car is in good company, even though it’s a Mach 1 masked as a Boss 429.
The Latin tattooed hitman didn’t just drive Mustangs. In the first movie, John had to be loaned a car, so he could go after the people who stole his nice ride. Aurelio (John Leguizamo) let him borrow a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS in forest green and white racing stripes.
John also drove one crazy 2011 Dodge Charger in “Wick” black, which ruthlessly took out SUVs during a car chase at the dock, like it was flicking something off its finger.
But he did not drive a Chevrolet Camaro — not even in “Parabellum,” which featured mostly badass motorcycles and one badass horse.
What kind of car will John Wick drive in chapter 4?
