To mark the Mustang's 20th birthday in '84, Ford revived the GT-350 name - though as Carroll Shelby had not licensed this name to Ford, the company had to hastily rename it the 20th Anniversary GT. This model was fitted with the 2.3 turbocharged or 5.0 V8 engines, and came in white with red stripes only; 5,260 were built. The V6 and V8 engines received electronic fuel injection systems, which improved economy and throttle response. The most headline-worthy Mustang development of the mid-'80s, however, was the launch of the SVO, a high-performance model developed by Ford's Special Vehicle Operations division. This came in three-door hatchback form with black or charcoal grey paint only, and had the 2.3 turbo engine, modified to 175bhp with a new intercooler and revised transmission ratios. It managed 0-60 in around eight seconds, and handling was less vague than the standard cars thanks to Koni gas-filled shock absorbers, ventilated disc brakes and low-profile tyres, as well as a useful evolution of Ford's Quadra-link suspension system. Its grille-less drooping nose was the height of fashion at the time, and its spoilers and bonnet air scoops made it the equivalent of Ford Europe's Sierra Cosworth - many a mainstream model was kitted out as a lookalike. The 41C option deleted all non-essential equipment, such as air conditioning and electric windows, and weighed nearly 100lbs less.
 |
The 5.0 V8 was lifted to 210bhp in 1985, and the Turbo boosted to 205bhp; but by now, the Mustang was beginning to struggle again. Ford revised the pricing, but had to detune the SVO to run on new lower-octane petrol, and the Turbo was then dropped in '86. The GT package remained the most popular choice. For 1987, all models received an SVO-style nose and headlamps, the GT gained the SVO's four-link suspension, and improvements to the fuel injection system brought the V8 up to 225bhp and 0-60 in just under 6.7 seconds. Five-speed manual transmission was now standard, but the 3.8 V6 was discontinued. Ford revised the car's interior significantly, with a new instrument panel. Production went back up to over 200,000 cars a year in '88 and '89, and although there were many rumours of an all-new, front-wheel drive Mustang - first tipped for launch in the mid-'80s - the Fox-platform model soldiered on.
 |
Despite 25th anniversary models and various special editions, sales fell back to less than 130,000 cars in 1990, less than 99,000 in 1991 and under 80,000 in '92 - as even the base Mustang now cost well over $10,000, for a very rudimentary specification, it just wasn't an appealing choice any more. Not only did it look dated, it was thoroughly outclassed in terms of ride, comfort and refinement, let alone handling and driving dynamics. Ford realised that it had lost the plot, and went back to basics: the Mach III concept car of 1992 signalled a few intentions, with its retro styling, carbonfibre body panels and a return to the long bonnet-short rear deck layout. This was followed up by the Jack Roush-tuned SVT (Special Vehicles Team) Mustang Cobra production car, which did 0-60 in less than six seconds, and restored a little credibility to the line-up before the fourth-generation model made its long overdue debut in 1994.
