Whether it’s the staging, styling, mostly black color scheme, or name, this custom “Kingpin” Ford Mustang from Spring Green, Wisconsin’s Ringbrothers is the most evil-looking automobile that’s made the rounds in some time. That’s by design, as it has villainous inspirations. “We asked ourselves, ‘What would the final boss in a John Wick film drive?’ This was the result,” said Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring. “Everything was cued off the Mustang’s original design, but we ramped up the drama, sharpened the lines, and added a number of one-off and 3D-printed details to make it truly stand out.”
The original design is the first-generation 1969 Ford Mustang equipped with the Mach 1 performance package, which, in its range-topping trim, came with a 7.0-liter “Cobra Jet” V8, fastback styling and a shaker hood scoop. Using that heralded muscle car as a starting point, Ringbrothers draped the body in a custom Bootleg Black shade and trimmed the interior with “Grab-Her Green,” a diabolical nod to Ford’s original “Grabber Green.”
A number of bespoke carbon fiber body kit pieces include the rear diffuser, hood, grille surround, and lower front valance, each of which was carefully designed to ensure the lines don’t deviate from the iconic source material. The car was also widened by 2 inches in the front and 3.5 inches in the rear, lending credence to its imposing name. “Over 5,500 hours went into building KINGPIN and perfecting its aesthetics. Every piece of this car has been touched and updated with sharpening the original design cues in mind,” added Ringbrothers co-founder Mike Ring.
The original Mustang Mach 1 maxed out at 335 horsepower when optioned with the top-tier 7.0-liter V8. Making a case for restomods everywhere, the “Kingpin” respectfully blows that figure out of the water, thanks to a Whipple-supercharged Wegner Motorsports 5.0-liter Coyote V8 that cranks out in excess of 800 horsepower. The wicked output reaches the rear wheels via a Bowler Transmissions Carbon Edition six-speed manual gearbox. Details on price or who commissioned Kingpin weren’t provided, but anyone who wants their own Ringbrothers build can expect to put down at least $500,000.
