21 years after Carrie Underwood emerged victorious from Season 4 of “American Idol,” the Grammy winning country star has finally revealed what happened to the blue Ford Mustang muscle car she won as part of her prize package, which similarly included a $1 million recording contract with 19 Management.
In 2025, Underwood returned to the reality singing competition that launched her country music career, joining the “American Idol” judging panel alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie for its 23rd season.
While the prize package was enough to make Underwood one of the most prolific female voices in country music history, the 2005 Ford Mustang was a nice bonus. The question is, does she still own the car 20 years later?
Carrie Underwood Reveals Her Blue Mustang Holds Great Sentimental Value
DisneyIn a 2020 interview with Today’s Country Radio, Carrie Underwood looked back on her career, which has since seen the artist claim multiple Grammys and Country Music Awards (CMAs) thanks to chart-topping hits like “Before He Cheats” and “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
She similarly discussed the fate of the Mustang she was awarded after winning “American Idol,” revealing that the muscle car holds deep sentimental value.
“That was the car that I was driving around when I first moved to Tennessee,” she told the station.
She similarly revealed that the Ford still has a dedicated place in the garage of her $3.2 million Franklin, Tennessee home.
“I do still have the car that I won when I won ‘American Idol,’” she added. “So I have my blue Mustang.”
“And every once in a while, something will happen where I’ll have my other car getting serviced or whatever, and I’ll get to drive the Mustang,” she continued.
While Underwood doesn’t get behind the wheel of the muscle car much these days, she claimed that, every time she does, “It always makes me want to drive it more because it was such a pivotal point in my life…Every time I get in it, I’m always like, ‘Why don’t I just drive this more often?’ Just because it makes me feel good.”
A clip of Underwood in the bright blue convertible was even shown on “American Idol” in 2025, part of a montage celebrating her return to the franchise as part of its latest judging panel.
Inside Carrie Underwood’s $700,000 Car Collection
These days, the 2005 Ford Mustang is just one of many vehicles in Underwood’s extensive car collection, which similarly includes:
- 2022 Land Rover Defender SUV ($122,000)
- 2022 Mercedes C63 AMG ($96,000)
- 2022 Cadillac Escalade ($93,000)
- 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser ($80,000)
- 2008 Audi R8 V10 ($78,000)
- 2022 Mercedes V250d ($68,000)
- 2022 Volkswagen Amarok ($62,000)
- 2021 Acura MDX ($44,000)
- 2017 Audi Q7 ($35,000)
- 2012 Cadillac SRX ($16,000)
In total, Carrie Underwood’s car collection is worth upwards of $694,000, not including the value of the 2005 Ford Mustang convertible she won on “American Idol.”
Fans can catch Carrie Underwood joining Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan on the judging panel of “American Idol” Season 24 every Monday at 8:00pm ET, exclusively on ABC.
