1993, FANTASTIC FINISH!

Alas, 1993, the last year of the third-generation Mustang. This was a year with many interesting facets. On one side, there were those who were calling the third-generation Mustang "long in the tooth" and anxiously awaiting the new fourth-generation Mustang. On the other side, there were die-hard third-generation Mustang fans contemplating the end of an era; an era which will be looked upon with a sense of accomplishment. In its short 15 year life, the third-generation "grew-up" and acquired a maturity that made it a success in many ways. By 1987, automotive authorities were continually expressing their positive surprise of what Ford was able to do with the FOX platform. And, in 1993, Ford introduced the 1993 Cobra. A Mustang that allowed Ford to accentuate all that it had accomplished with the third-generation Mustang. What follows are some facts along with a conclusion attempting to summarize the third-generation Mustang's lasting impressions.

As one might have noticed, the BHP and Torque figures were down-rated in 1993. Actually, there is no difference between the '90 to '93 5.0L LXs. Part of the reason for the decrease in horsepower in 1993 was due to Ford's new method of measuring BHP. Also, Ford did not continually update the Mustang's BHP figures to reflect the minor modifications it made to the 5.0L beginning in 1987 and ending in 1990. The 20 BHP difference is a little misleading.

The only change to the base 1993 Mustang was a new, more powerful stereo with an optional CD player. Two limited edition LX convertibles were introduced as 1993 1/3 models. They followed the theme of the 1992 limited edition LX convertibles with different colors. One was white with a white top, white leather interior, white Pony rims, and white rear spoiler taking the place of the luggage rack. (Now, that's a lot of white!) The second convertible was yellow with either a black top and black leather interior or a white top and white leather interior. Both yellow convertibles came with a yellow spoiler replacing the luggage rack. Also unique to this yellow LX were chromed Pony rims. Ford built 1,500 white and 1,503 yellow limited edition LX convertibles.

The Cobra was the biggest news with several improvements over the base GT. In short, the Cobra featured a more powerful engine, courtesy of a GT-40 enhanced 5.0L engine, stouter T-5 transmission, recalibrated suspension and more integrated body work. In addition, 107 Cobra R models were also built to compete in SCCA showroom-stock racing. (For more information about the Cobra, please visit the SVT Cobra Mustang Homepage which is listed on our links page.)

At last count (1987 Year by Year page), the Mustang-Camaro rivalry was dominated by the Mustang; Mustang 3, Camaro 0. But ironically, in its last year of production, the third-generation Mustang lost its only battle and the score was settled at Mustang 3, Camaro 1. Even the '93 Cobra in stock form could not compete with Chevy's new Vette-powered Camaro. (I might add that the fourth-generation Mustang has not faired any better against the new Camaro. Only the '96 Cobra offers a challenge, but at a higher price.) In any case, the Mustang lost the battle but won the War! Ford continually strived to keep the Mustang at the forefront of the Pony Car Wars. Each year, the Mustang improved and kept its fans riveted to their seats with tire-spinning performance wrapped in a visually stunning and economical package. The third-generation Mustang was continually quoted by authoritative automobile magazines as "The Best Bang For The Buck". (This most probably contributed to the steady yearly price increase from 1990 to 1993.) However, the biggest contribution the third-generation Mustang made was to Ford Performance. Never has there been such a demand for Ford performance parts. For the first time in Mustang history, aluminum heads are affordable and available from several manufacturers. Manufacturers who in the past have primarily developed Chevy products. No longer is the Chevy 350 small block synonymous with performance; the high-revving Ford 5.0L small block has been crowned the new king. And as some would declare, "NUFF SAID!"

Horsepower : 205 BHP   @ 4200 RPM
Torque     : 275 Ft-Lb @ 3000 RPM
Base Price : $14,366  (2-door LX coupe)
Total Cars Produced : 114,228
5.0L Cars (non GT)  :  22,902
     GT Cars        :  26,101

1993 Happenings:
A terrorist bomb explodes in the parking garage of the World Trade Center.
The Chevy Camaro is restyled and given a detuned Corvette engine.