Police PursuitAdding to the 5.0 Mustang's legend was the fact it was offered as a Special Service vehicle, typically as a coupe, for police pursuit. First used by the California Highway Patrol in 1982, the Special Service Mustangs caught on quickly in Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and other states. Although rumors on the street claimed the police versions boasted additional horsepower, truth is the police cars had the same power rating as the standard production 5.0s. However, they were equipped or available with special items like silicone hoses, heater-hose inlet restrictor, higher-output alternator, recalibrated cooling-fan clutch, 140- or 160-mph speedometer, and a single-key locking system.
Postage StampLast we heard, the Corvette guys were still trying to get their Corvette postage stamp. Well, we've already got ours, issued in 1999 as part of the U.S. Postal Service's Celebrate the Century commemorative-stamp program. Best of all, the subjects were chosen by the American public, with the Mustang appearing on a sheet with 14 other stamps representing the '60s. The Mustang stamp was available for approximately a year, which is all well and good seeing how the then 33-cent stamp won't even mail a first-class letter these days.
Indianapolis 500 Pace CarFor a manufacturer, few things are more prestigious than having a vehicle chosen as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. In its 40-year history, the Mustang has paced the race three times-in 1965, 1979, and 1994. In all three cases, special Mustang Pace Cars were produced, not only for actual race duties but also for the general public.
Mach IIIWhen Team Mustang Chief John Coletti heard that Chevrolet was launching its new Camaro at the '93 Detroit Auto Show, he decided to steal their thunder by creating a wild concept car to tease the coming of the '94 Mustang. In just three months, Coletti and Team Mustang engineers and designers conceived, designed, and created the Mach III, a two-seater roadster with a supercharged 4.6 DOHC engine and a muscular body that hinted at the styling cues for the production '94 model. To Chevy's dismay, the Mach III drew rave reviews at the Detroit and Los Angeles Auto Shows before appearing on numerous magazine covers and at many Mustang and automotive events.
Springtime SpecialsFrom 1966 to 1972, Ford sparked spring sales with special-edition Mustangs, starting with the '66 Sprint 200, a "Millionth Mustang Success Celebration Edition" with six-cylinder power, popular options, and a chrome air cleaner. From there, the springtime specials included the '67 Sports Sprint, '68 Sprint (in two versions, either "A" or "B," both with C-stripes), '70 Grabbers, '71 Spring Sports Coupe, and the white with blue and red trimmed '72 Sprint USA models (also available in "A" or "B" packages).
Cobra IIWith Shelby-style striping, spoilers, and hoodscoop, the '76-'78 Cobra II was a bright spot in the otherwise dark days of Mustang performance. A four-cylinder and V-6 were offered, but the Cobra II came alive with the optional 302 V-8/four-speed combination. The Cobra II, along with its King Cobra sibling in 1978, helped keep the performance fires burning between the last of the 351 Mustangs in 1973 and the introduction of the 5.0 HO in 1982.