The Ford Mustang has been one of the most iconic cars which have been created by Ford over the years. Today it is not only car enthusiasts who are drool-worthy over the American muscle car but also the normal people who wish to own this as their next dream purchase. The love for the Mustang is due to numerous reasons, be it iconic muscle car looks or the numerous engine options it offers which makes it affordable for a wide range of buyers. But all this did not happen overnight, the Mustang had to go under various updates and iterations in order to improve itself from time to time and stay relevant to the stiff competition. Today we take a look down memory lane to see all the Mustang updated and manufactured in the 90s year-wise! So without wasting any further time, let’s get started!
THE 1990 MUSTANG
The First Mustang of the 90s was designed like a hatchback and looked great in our opinion with those neat looks. Also, it was equipped with a rear-wheel setup so yes, you could always drift it sideways! The 1990 Mustang was powered by two engine options, one was the 2.3L 4-cylinder engine with 88 horsepower and the 5.0Lr V8 used by the GT and LX 5.0 variants. The 5.0L V8 was the stronger of the two which produced 300 lb-ft of torque and was paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Manuals were the preferred choice back then unlike today for performance cars. Also, the 1990 Mustang had decent fuel economy figures with that massive motor and used to return anywhere around 22 MPG.
THE 1991 MUSTANG
After the 1990 Mustang, came the next Mustang in 1991 which continued setting the sales chart on fire. This Mustang was similar to the outgoing Mustang in terms of exteriors and interiors but with a slew of important changes done to the 4-cylinder engine and the transmission which led to an increase in performance from the motor and driveability. On the engine front, this one was fitted with two spark plugs for each cylinder now resulting in better combustion of the fuel and air which added a massive 15 horsepower gain to take its total power output to 105 horsepower! The Mustang was now spicing up the competition although prices were increased too!
In the transmission compartment, the Mustang now finally got an automatic transmission equipped with a shift lock which made driveability a boon in city conditions and Ford could finally target the buyers who didn’t want to settle for a manual transmission!
THE 1992 MUSTANG
The year 1992 was the worst year in terms of sales for the Mustang as they dipped to an all-time low. The reason we presume for sales was due to the lack of any major changes to the car since 1987 and buyers wanted something new from the Mustang Family. Only 79,280 units were sold in the year 1992, although it was still leagues ahead of the competition like the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird at that time.
Although changes were there, they were too minimal. The LX variants got body-colored body side rubber moldings around the car which enhanced the looks of the car to a small extent. The 1992 Mustang also saw some deletions from the equipment list as well, like the whitewall tires and wire-wheel covers were removed from the list. The GT variant also remained unchanged and had the same looks as the 1991 Mustang Mustang. The price range for the Mustang started from $10,125 for the base coupe version and went all the way up to $16,899 for the convertible
THE 1993 MUSTANG
The year 1993 was an important year for the Mustang to revive its sales and it very well did that too. The Mustang clocked over 114,228 sales this year, making it a big relief for the sales team. All this happened as Ford brought back the Cobra and Cobra R versions for buyers who wanted even more performance than the regular 5.0L variants. The Cobra versions were nothing short of legal race cars.
To differentiate itself from the regular Mustang, the Cobra R got features like a new front valance, great looking 7 spoke turbine wheels, a restyled rear wing along with cobra badges. Although the major change was under the hood and it was still a 5.0L V8 but pumping out a strong 234 horsepower compared to 205 HP of the regular V8 paired along with a manual transmission and a 3.08:1 limited slip at the rear end, unlike the regular car.
THE 1994 MUSTANG
Finally, in 1994, the Mustang got its major upgrade and now the 4th generation model was launched for the buyers. The fox-body styling and older chassis were gone and in came the SN-95 or fox-4 platform with updated interior and exterior looks.
There were new engine options like the 3.8-litre Essex V6 for the base variants although you could no longer order the base variant with the powerful 5.0L monstrous V8 engine.
The new chassis had a slightly longer wheelbase, aerodynamic body lines, better handling, and increased track width, and was better than the outgoing model in each and every possible way. The new body was also able to maintain the NVH levels much better than the last generation. Pricing for the 1994 Ford Mustang started at $13,365 for the base coupe version and $20,160 for the top-end convertible. Talking of the engines, the 5.0 V8 engine was still on offer but was upgraded for the Cobra-specific variants by adding some great performance mods like unique intake manifolds, cams, fuel injectors, and heads. The year 1994 proved to be a major success in the Mustang timeline series and they ended up selling 123,198 units of the same!
THE 1995 MUSTANG
Sales continued to grow through the roof for the year 1995 as well without Ford doing any sort of changes to the outgoing model. Although this was the last year for the 5.0L V8 in the Mustang. In the models which came after this, Ford used a 4.6L V8 engine. The major change in the year 1995 included an introduction of a new variant named the GTS, which was basically a stripped-down version of the GT variant, and the rebirth of Cobra variants, again! The GTS had all the performance parts of the GT, without the flashy accessories, and a total of 6370 units were built of the GTS. On the other hand, the Cobra variant Mustang was a track spec Mustang and remains one of the most powerful Mustangs till date.
Talking of the 1995 Mustang GT, it received a 5.0L V8 for the last time producing 215 HP with lowering front valance, a four-wheel disc brake system, and roomier seats. Also, the canary yellow and sapphire blue was limited to the Mustang GT. The total units sold for the year 1995 for the Mustang stood at 185,986.
THE 1996 MUSTANG
The 1996 Mustang had the same body style as the 1995 Mustang which is the SN-95. The major change which the Mustang underwent this year was the replacement of the mighty 5.0L V8 engine with a smaller but equally powerful 4.6L V8 engine. The same engine in the Cobra variants produced a powerful 305 HP.
Talking of the changes, the 1996 Mustang received a honeycomb grille and the rear tail lights got a minor design change as compared to the previous model. Apart from that, the Cobra variant got an additional Mystic paint package.
The 1996 Mustang had its price range starting from $15,180 for the base coupe and $21,060 for the base convertible and it sold over 135,620 units! Although the GTS variants were discontinued.
THE 1997 MUSTANG
If we had to summarise the changes done to the 1997 Mustang from the 1996 Mustang in a single line it would just be the deletion of the honeycomb grille which the Mustang got in 1996. Apart from that, there are literally no differences between the 1996 and the 1997 Mustang. Sales declined a bit, with total sales units standing at 108,344 but despite that, the Mustang was still the undisputed leader of its respective segment.
The engines on offer were the same 3.8L V6, 4.6L SOHC EFI V8, and the 4.6L DOHC EFI V8.
Although the 1997 Mustang Cobra did receive minor tweaks for 1997, which included a wider grille opening and a new color pacific green was offered.
THE 1998 MUSTANG
Similar to last year’s models, the 1998 Mustang was very similar to the 1997 and the 1996 Mustang. And with the 1998 Mustang, Ford marked the last year of the SN-95 generation as it was getting dated. Although sales were at an all-time high, with a total of 174,522 units being sold, Ford knew that a major update was needed.
There were minor changes with the 1998 Mustang like the dash clock which used to come in the 1994-1997 models was removed and the Cobra variant got five-spoke alloy wheels and was now offered in a shade of yellow and blue. The price range for the 1998 Mustang started from $16,150 and went up to $20,650 for the base convertible versions.
THE 1999 MUSTANG
Once again, the Mustang received a major upgrade and it was now in its 5th generation avatar! The soft body lines of the SN-95 generation were gone and the car was replaced by sharper-looking headlamps, and restyled side profile which gave it the much-needed modern and refreshed look. This new generation was named the “New Edge” Mustang. Also, the addition to this year’s Mustang was a new suspension setup, improved engine designs, and a new traction system for all the trims to name a few.
Talking of the engine options available, the choices remained unchanged, with the base V6 engine producing close to 190 HP, a considerable 40 HP more compared to the last gen, and 225 lb-ft of torque. The breathing of the engine got better thanks to its new intake manifold design along with improvements in the cylinder head.
The other engine which was the 4.6 V8 got a 35 HP gain going to 260 to 225 HP and 302 lb/ft of torque. There were numerous changes done to the performance section like the addition of coil on plugs, a modified combustion chamber, and a better intake system.
Despite all these major changes, the 1999 Mustang did not find as many takers as the last year’s models, and the sales unit stood at a total of 133,637.
