Modified Mustangs are a dime a dozen these days. From bulbous wheel arches and boy-racer rear wings to an illuminated underbody and Intimidator knockoffs, each is a representation of their owner. There are, however, more exciting alterations to a factory Ford Mustang. One obscure company named Zimmer takes the modifying game to a whole new level. They will make a Mustang for those who style themselves as a villainous, depression-era, zoot suit-wearing bank robber. 

What is the wild Ford Mustang-based Zimmer Golden Spirit?

Despite its looks, the vehicle was not built during the Interwar Period. Making the Golden Spirit calls on the traditional craft of coachbuilding. The car sold on the auction site BringATrailer.com sits on an entirely stock platform. Based on a 2011 Ford Mustang GT, the folks at Zimmer took most of the bodywork and threw it away.

While a stock 2011 Ford Mustang is just over 15 and a half feet long, the Zimmer approach adds over a yard to the length. In creating the art deco-style front and rear end, the Golden Spirit ends up being over 19 feet long.

The roofline and quarter windows from the Mustang are retained in the new design, but below them are John Dillinger gun platform-style swooping fenders. The spare wheels are also mounted on the front quarter panels in a period-correct fashion.

In the front, the Golden Spirit is capped with a flying-eagle front emblem atop an upright polished front grille fit for Gatsby himself. The chromed front horns, faux external exhaust pipes, and additional fog lights will certainly put the owner back in the ’30s. But that’s what Zimmer does best.

What is the Zimmer Motor Car Company?

For the many who don’t know who Zimmer is, it’s a company that specializes in creating neoclassic, pre-depression-era inspired cars from contemporary vehicles. While they have typically stuck to Mustang-based fabrications, but they have used Lincoln Town Cars, too. New York-based Zimmer has built Golden Spirits for four decades from fox body, SN95, and S197 Mustangs.

In a 2009 interview with Boston.com, company owner Art Zimmer (no relation to founder Paul Zimmer) said he was competing with the likes of Aston Martin, Maserati, and Bentley. Building only 10 to 20 cars a year at the time, they ranged from $119,900 for the coupe to $189,900 for the four-door convertible. In fact, basketball star Shaquille O’Neal has a Golden Spirit in red.

What is left of a Mustang on the Golden Spirit?

While the car’s exterior is quite aristocratic, the interior is less exquisite decadence and custom and more modern modular Ford. Although most of the internals are left stock, the seats and other upholstery have well-appointed red leather.

Moreover, the Golden Spirit keeps the GT’s 412-horsepower 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine, six-speed auto, and a limited-slip differential. Suspension components and the disc brakes are also left as they were from the factory.

Therefore, the Golden Spirit is mechanically and legally a 2011 For Mustang. The auction listing even showed a digital copy of the original window sticker the donor Mustang received from the factory. Importantly, they state the Golden Spirit has a clean Carfax report and California title.

How much did someone pay for this Zimmer Mustang?

When The Drive reported on the Zimmer Mustang, the price was only $3,500. Yet that price rose to $29,569 when it was sold at auction in October 2022. That’s a far cry from the six-figure sum they fetched when they were new. Truth be told, the car had an original MSRP of $238,400, according to the information provided by the seller on the listing.

Surprisingly, Zimmer is reportedly still making these opulent conversions. Finding out where to get a new one, though, remains a mystery.