Ford Mustang: 1994-2004

Rising to the Camaro challenge?and beyond

The all-new 1993 Chevy Camaro really got Ford's attention. It was fast, attractive and aggressively priced to take on the Mustang. Although the 1993 Mustang was a competent performer, the styling was getting dated and didn't resemble the classic Mustangs that baby boomers pined for. There was no budget for an all-new car, so the existing chassis would have to do, but on the outside the Mustang was in for some retro restyling.


The nose was reshaped with a shallow grille that sported the running Mustang emblem made famous on the 1965 model. Underneath were more ducts, shades of the oil-cooler ducting on the original GT-350R racing cars. In back was a spoiler, and although the taillights had three segments, they were arranged horizontally, not vertically like on the '65. Side scoops returned, with a fastback top that recaptured the aggressive personality of the first Mustang. And the new convertible was a big improvement over the previous models both in terms of looks and rigidity. The revamped look was widely acclaimed and the Mustang was on its way.

Retro Restyling
The chassis was considerably beefed up to improve rigidity, but the suspension was basically the same as the 1983 model. For the convertible, the frame was appreciably strengthened for less shake. The 302 was now rated at 215 hp (a new, more conservative method of rating horsepower resulted in less impressive numbers even though actual power had increased). The suspension was fine tuned to give big improvements in handling and a Bosch ABS was offered as an option.


Although the new Mustang was a big leap forward over the '93, it was eclipsed by the performance of the Camaro with its 275-hp 350-inch engine. The Special Vehicle Team went to work on a new Cobra that would be able to take on the Z-28. A 240-hp engine was chosen, coupled with larger brakes, softer springs and revalved shocks for improved handling. The Cobra also was given distinctive body trim and, for the first time, a Cobra convertible was offered as well. Picked to be an Indy Pace Car, all '94 Cobra convertibles were Pace Car editions.

Cobra Bites Back
The Cobra R returned in 1995, lightened by dumping the air conditioning, deluxe interior and back seat. Up front the 302 was replaced with a muscular 351 borrowed from the Ford marine division and fitted with special Cobra heads and intake to strike with 300 hp. Only 250 were built, making it an instant collectible. The regular Cobra was largely unchanged from the previous year, except that the convertible had an optional hardtop.

The venerable Ford small-block pushrod V-8 was put to rest in 1996 and replaced by an overhead-cam, "modular" V-8. To reduce tooling costs, this engine was designed to share components with other Ford engines, hence the "modular" terminology. The Mustang GT got a 4.6-liter version with SOHC heads that produced 215 hp, while the Cobra was blessed by a twin-cam version with 32 valves and 305 hp. In back, the horizontal taillights were swapped for more retro units with vertical bars. The 1996 model sold well and little was changed the following two years. Meanwhile Camaro sales started to slip and it was discontinued in 2002.

The Nines
Although it had a family resemblance to the preceding model, the 1999 Mustang was a significant improvement. The chassis was still based on the old Fox-4 (Ford's internal designation) design and the suspension was fundamentally the same. The body was similar but the side vents were now much taller and the taillights were changed. Both the V-6 and V-8 engines picked up power. The SVT Cobra received what was supposed to be a 320-hp upgrade to the DOHC engine, but some production versions proved to be less powerful and the resultant bad publicity forced Ford to pull the plug for the 2000 model year while they worked on a solution. It seems that casting flash inside the intake manifolds and clogged exhaust systems were causing the power loss, and all 1999 models were offered replacement systems. The good news was the introduction of independent rear suspension on the 1999 Cobra. It worked quit well, but the other Mustang models continued with live axles.

The 2000 model Mustangs were little changed from the 1999 models. SVT developed a 385-hp Cobra R with a 5.4-liter version of the modular motor. A taller hood was needed to clear the big mill, and a functional splitter and rear wing were fitted.

Bullit Proof
Probably the most famous movie Mustang of all time was the green '68 driven with alacrity by Steve McQueen in movie Bullitt. Ford brought back some memories with their Bullitt edition of the 2001 Mustang GT. It was lowered and had special wheels that resembled the 5-spoke mags used in the movie. Only 500 were built.


The SVT team had been busy developing a supercharged version of the 4.6-liter Cobra that came out in 2003 with 390 sizzling horses that drive through a six-speed transmission. A new Mach 1 model had many Cobra parts, but sans blower and sporting the classic shaker hood pioneered in the 1970s.

The future looks bright indeed, with an all-new Mustang on the drawing board. It is slated to make its debut in 2004 and will have a chassis based on the refined design used by the Thunderbird and Lincoln LS. Given the conspicuous absence of other domestic ponycars on the market, the new Mustang will likely be another big hit for Ford.