Of course, for many, it’s all about modern comfort, considering the Mustang is very much alive to date. It’s been more than 55 years of this iconic nameplate, which did bow down and kowtow to the need of the hour to survive – such as the 1974 Ford Mustang II that may be reviled today but kept Ford afloat with massive sales.

We love the ‘Stang, in all its beauty, and seeing it abandoned and forsaken by its owners hurts our hearts and souls.

151967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: Powered By Nature

Once a queen of the roads, this 1967 GT500, a street-legal car made for the fans of the GT40, lies abandoned and rusted in the middle of nowhere. And such is the twisty way of nature that the long hood that once housed a massive 428-ci V8 is now home to a tree.

141979 Ford Mustang Fox Body: Wind Out Of Its Sails

Or should we say air pressure out of its tires, considering the poor, flat tires may never become road-worthy again? After the fiasco that was the Ford Mustang II, the fox-body Mustang debuted in the ‘Stang’s third generation and tried to bring back a bit of that lost muscle car glory. Unfortunately, it too failed.

131967 Ford Mustang I, Hardtop: Rusted Patina And All

This car has seen some tough times, as it lies abandoned out in the open, at the mercy of all the moisture in the air. The patina has rusted, but it’s almost like art, and somehow the tires still look as if they are raring to go. Bigger than the 1964 ‘Stang, the 1967 hardtop was as simple and sleek as a Mustang could be.

121969 Ford Mustang Mach 1: Disposed Of Like Trash!

A legend of a classic car, the Ford Mach 1 was introduced in 1969, after the Ford GT40 proved American prowess at Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona. The Mach 1 came with a basic 250-horsepower engine but if you chose the Cobra Jet mill, it went all the way up to 355 horses. And yet, this one lies like trash, with its original patina long gone and wheels stripped off.

111968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback: A Legend-Turned-Rust-Bucket

The 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback is more of a cult status car, especially since a highland green one was featured in Steve McQueen’s movie, Bullitt. The original movie car sold to the tune of $3.7 million, but even this one could have been worth a lot more if it had been carefully stored and not left to the mercy of the elements.

101965 Ford Mustang Convertible: A Ruined Classic

Sometimes, people don’t realize a good thing until they have ruined it beyond measure. Case in question, this beautiful black 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible that is rusted with its soft-top torn beyond repair. While this may make for a great restoration project for a ‘Stang lover, we wonder who the original owner was and why they let this car languish in this state?

91978 Ford Mustang II Ghia: The ‘Stang Everyone Loves To Hate

Okay, we get it. This is a much-reviled Mustang, but at the time, it not only saved Ford from going bankrupt by selling well, it also gave oil-starved Americans a good option. Unlike the Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega that were badly-made cars, the Ford Mustang II just had a weaker engine, but no other flaws per se. Plus, the Ghia trim did add luxury, so why abandon it so heartlessly?

81974 Ford Mustang Mach 1: The Best Engine Possible

1974 was a time when the automobile industry was floundering under stricter emissions rules and laws, a change in horsepower measurement, and of course, the oil crisis. All this combined killed the muscle car market. The Mustang survived by replacing the V8 with a V6, losing power but improving its fuel economy. More than 290,000 sold in 1974, making this an abandoned bestseller.

71977 Ford Mustang II Fastback: A Sad End To A Worthy Car

Whatever the Mustang II is or isn’t to the writers and drivers of today, it was the perfect car at the time to carry the legacy of the Mustang forward. Of course, the 1977 models had outputs of only 89 to 93 horsepower, but remember horsepower numbers had also dropped due to the change in the way they were measured, so no Mustang deserves this fate.

61969 Ford Mustang I “SportsRoof:” Sinking In Shame

If you look at the rear wheels of this beautiful first-generation Ford Mustang Fastback, dubbed in Ford’s literature as a SportRoof, you’ll see the tires are missing and the rims are sinking into the ground. This beauty has been here for a while, and we hope, for her sake, that someone rescues her and restores her former glory.

51968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: The End Is Nigh

Carroll Shelby must be turning in his grave at the sight of this beauty being slowly eaten away with abandonment. Even the Mustang logo is missing, and the headlamps seem slightly askew. It’s dinged, dented and covered with a layer of dust and yet manages to exude a charm that no new Mustang can match up to.

41968 Factory-Built Drag-Racing Cobra Jet Mustang: A Rare Find

When a man died, his cousin came to investigate the estate since he was the heir to it all. In a barn, he found a white Mustang, that said Cobra Jet on the side. Luckily, he investigated, and found it to be one of the 50 135-Series Super Cobra Jets factory-built for drag racing, and once raced by Phil Glass. This Mustang found a loving home and is now being restored.

31969 Ford Mustang Boss 302: Unique But Forgotten

Only 1,628 Boss Mustangs 302 were sold in 1969, making it a bit of a rare model. With a 4.9-liter Boss V8 power mill, this beauty made 290 horses and went like the wind. To have this rare a car lie abandoned in a barn, forgotten by all, makes for a very rare find. ANd seeing the muck it has been resting in, restoring it will be a long-drawn process.

21970 Ford Mustang Boss 429: Less Than 500 Made

Casting pearls before swine may sound rude and cliched, but that’s exactly the kind of rage a Mustang lover would feel if they saw this abandoned 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429. Only 499 of these were made in 1970, making this a very rare find indeed, even with the massively rusted patina it wears. The 7.0-liter Boss V8 made 366 horses.

11967 Ford Mustang Fastback: Yet Another Icon Rusts

Sadly, if you go to find abandoned Mustangs, you will find too many, enough to break your heart. People move on, sometimes tragically, and leave behind their most-loved possessions. So the stories behind these abandoned Mustangs, including this 1967 Ford Mustang fastback with a crushed roof, could be even more heartbreaking than the pictures of the cars. And that’s just too sad for words.