The newest Fox-body Mustang is now more than 10 years old. Sobering thought, eh? Yes, time marches on and, with a totally redesigned Mustang on the horizon, the Fox-body generation of cars is gaining more status as a collectible-at the least special models like the '93 Cobra/Cobra R and LX 5.0 convertibles we're detailing here.
Commonly known as "feature cars," these 5.0 ragtops are distinguished by their colors, special interior details, and unique wheels. Since they were made in relatively limited quantities from the start, their importance as a legitimately collectible Mustang has always been ensured. Whatever they may or may not be, they're certainly colorful and their appeal will never be questioned. The clean LX styling and now-classic 5.0 power make for a great car to have in the Mustang hobby.
All the details we could drum up from owners, books, and the Internet are combined in the following examination. To summarize, the cars (all LX 5.0 convertibles) are: a '90 in Deep Emerald Jewel Green Metallic; a '92 in Vibrant Red; a '93 in Canary Yellow, and another '93 in Vibrant White.
Speaking of 5.0 power, these cars are special Mustangs in their own right, but are mechanically identical to any other Fox-body 5.0 GT or LX. That is, the drivetrains, suspensions, steering, brakes, and all other mechanical bits are exactly the same as those found in their less colorful cousins, and performance is the same as standard 5.0s.
'90 "7-Up"The green cars were Ford's first crack at making a distinctive feature car that was separate from other 5.0 LX and GT models. At that point, we were still three years away from seeing the '93 Cobra, so it was as unusual a Mustang as you could get. What separated this car from all other Fox-body cars was it came equipped with the 15x7-inch turbine-style wheels that, until that point, were used only on the '87-'90 GT.
Also unique to these cars was their tie-in with a 7-Up/NCAA basketball promotion that ended up being a stillborn idea. Although it never happened, the cars were still made. The 7-Up Bottling Company was going to give away 30 of the cars at the '90 NCAA basketball finals. In an audience-participation contest, anyone sinking a basket from center court with one try would drive home one of the cars. At the last minute, the contest was canceled with no real explanation. For that reason, these green '90s are also known as "7-Up cars."
Production on the green cars started in December 1989, with only two built. Full production began on February 2, 1990, and the final car was built on May 29, 1990. The original plan was to build 5,000, although the final tally came in at 4,103.
The breakdown of the production numbers includes 2,743 automatics and 1,360 five-speeds. Reportedly, 261 cars were exported; most were believed to have gone to Canada.
Unique trim and appearance components on these green cars included the Deep Emerald Green Clearcoat Metallic Paint (paint code PA), color-keyed body-side moldings, fascia moldings and side-view mirrors, a white leather interior with sports seats and a white dashboard, a white convertible top, and the aforementioned 15x7-inch aluminum wheels taken from the GT parts bin.
This car's white leather interior, white dashpad, and white console combination was also unique among all Fox Mustangs. In 1991, convertibles were offered with the same green paint color and white leather interior, but they were built with a gray dashpad and gray console, and were equipped with the 16x7-inch star wheels found on all '91-'93 LX and GT 5.0s. For more on the 7-Up cars, visit http://90limited7up.stangnet.com.
Vibrant Red '92Taking a year off in 1991, Ford drummed up another feature car for the '92 model year. It was promoted as a "Summer Special," a unique LX convertible available only in Vibrant Red with a white top.
The $850 cosmetic package included the Vibrant Red paint (exclusive to this model for 1992), along with color-keyed side moldings, mirrors (compared to black on the non-feature car), and door trim. The trim around the windshield was also body color.
A unique spoiler was also part of the picture. Referred to as a Sports Rear Wing and supplied by the American Sunroof Company (ASC), this was the first rear spoiler installed on a production LX 5.0 convertible. Produced by GE-Norel, it was made of blow-molded plastic. On this car, the wing (with an integrated center high-mounted stoplight) replaced the trunk-lid luggage rack found on other convertibles.
The white interior featured leather seats with black piping and a black Lori cloth (napped) headliner (the first ever in a Mustang convertible). Instructions for attaching the headliner were included in a special sun-visor sleeve. White door panels contrasted the black carpeting and black dash
Other visual features included the moldings on the top of the doors (called the upper-door belt molding) that were body color instead of black on regular Mustangs. The moldings along the top of the rear quarter-panels (called the quarter-panel, outer-belt upper molding) were also body color.
The 16-inch five-spoke star wheels were prepped by Superior Wheel Company by applying baked-on opal pearlescent ("opalescent") paint over silver, which made the wheels appear white. Credit for bringing this car to life went to Team Mustang and Joe Laura of Ford's Mustang Business Planning Group.
Information varies as to production numbers. One source says a total of 2,019 cars were made. Another source indicates 2,193 cars were produced and, of those, 1,406 had an automatic and 787 had a five-speed. Of the total 2,193 built, 163 were said to have been exported.
The door tags for these cars indicate their body code was P44, their option code 415, their engine code 99E, and their transmission code either 415 (for five-speed manual) or 44T (for the AOD). The paint code is shown as EY and the trim code as CZ. The Preferred Equipment Package (PEP) code 245A was also indicated.
Canary Yellow and Vibrant White '93The success of the '92 car and its ability to generate excitement for an aging Fox-body platform led to the creation of another feature car for 1993. Two cars were available in the two noted colors. Many of the visual bits were similar in scope and execution to the '92 car, but the new colors were the main difference.
What made these cars different from a regular Fox 5.0 was cosmetic. The Vibrant White monochromatic exterior was combined with a white interior in the white cars. For the Canary Yellow cars, there was a choice between a black or white interior and a corresponding top that matched the interior color. All seat upholstery was leather.
The white interior was different from standard white interiors because it was entirely white and black. The white interiors in non-feature cars were white/opal gray or white/red. The seat headrests were also embossed with galloping pony logos in both cars. The rear spoiler in place of the standard luggage rack was the same as the '92s.
Like the '92s, the '93s came with the 16-inch star wheels and 225/55ZR16 Goodyear or Michelin tires-white wheels on white cars and chrome wheels on yellow cars.
The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the white convertible option was $976, making the suggested retail price $21,709. The yellow package was $1,488 (higher due to the chrome wheels), making the suggested retail price $22,221.
The monochromatic exterior was similar to the '92. It included body-color side mirrors as opposed to black on the non-feature cars, and a body-color cowl-vent grille instead of black. The moldings on the top of the doors (called the upper-door belt molding) were also body color instead of black, as well as the moldings along the top of the rear quarter-panel. The trim around the windshield was body color on both the yellow and white cars. The white cars came with a white convertible-top boot.
There were 1,500 white cars produced. Of that number, 1,056 were automatics and 444 were five-speeds. A total of 1,503 yellow cars were produced. From that number, cars with the yellow-and-black-interior combination included 667 with automatics and 452 with five-speeds. Yellow cars with a white interior included 271 automatics and a mere 113 examples with five-speeds. For more on all three of the '92-'93 feature cars, visit www.triplewhitefox.com.