2006 Ford Mustang Convertible

The fifth generation of the Mustang, known as the S197, debuted for 2005 on a new platform. On the upside, the new D2C platform shed the last vestiges of the old late-Seventies Fox body architecture that had lingered through the preceding SN95 generation. 

It shared much of its front end with the new DEW98 rear wheel drive platform that underpinned the Lincoln LS, new Ford Thunderbird, and Jaguar S-type. On the downside, for reasons of cost and weight, it had a live rear axle, unlike the independent rear suspension of those DEW98 cars.

Base cars had the latest 4.0L SOHC version of Ford's Cologne V-6, the basic lump of which dated back to the early Sixties. The GT came with a 3-valve-per-cylinder variant of the 4.6L Modular V-8.

While the GT versions made 300 horses, even the base V6 cars, like this V6 Deluxe Convertible in Vista Blue Metallic, put out 210 SAE net horsepower, which is almost as much as the 5.0L GT of the Eighties and Nineties.

Motor Trend tested a 2006 V6 convertible with the automatic transmission and recorded a 7.3 second zero-to-sixty run and a quarter mile time of 15.5 seconds at 90mph through the traps.

This car has the Sport Appearance Package, with the spoiler and rocker panel stripes, and someone's retrofitted a GT grille with the fog lamps. 

This one was photographed with a Nikon Df and a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens in March of 2026.

1966 Ford Mustang

There have been two '66 Mustangs on these pages before, a Dynasty Green convertible and a Nightmist Blue GT convertible, but this Signal Flare Red car is the first 1966 Mustang coupe to grace the blog.

1966 was the last year for the original, svelte lines of the first generation 'Stangs. For '67 the car would be widened over two inches so as to accommodate big block V-8s under the hood.

You can see the tiny "289" atop the red, white, and blue tri-bar fender badges, as well as the little 289 V-badge up by the nose. That could be the regular two-barrel 289 Challenger V-8 with a 9.3:1 compression ratio making 200 gross horsepower or the four-barrel 289 Challenger Special V-8, which had a 10.0:1 squeeze and put out 225 ponies.

Other than that, it's a pretty standard Mustang, with basic hubcaps and no glamorous "K-code" Hi-Po solid lifter Cobra V-8. It's a super nice car, and almost certainly restored to this condition.

It was photographed in October of 2025 using an Olympus OM-D E-M5 and the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens.

1965 Ford Mustang

The 1965 model year, which went into production in August of '64, marked the first full year of production for the Ford Mustang and the slogan was Total Performance.

The base engine gained thirty cubes, as the 200 cubic inch Thriftpower OHV inline six replaced the 170 cubic inch version, bumping horsepower by fifteen, to 120 SAE gross. Gone was the 260 cubic inch Fairlane V-8, replaced as the entry level eight cylinder by a 200hp two-barrel Challenger 289 cube small block.

Performance options were two different four-barrel 289 small blocks: The 225hp Challenger Special or the 271hp "K-code" Challenger High Performance V-8 with solid lifters and a 10.5:1 compression ratio. All engines except the Hi-Po 289 could be had with three- or four-speed manuals or the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic. The K-code came only with the four-on-the-floor.

Also new for '65 were an alternator to replace the generator found on the '64½ cars, and optional front disc brakes. The fastback 2+2 body style also appeared this year. The Wimbledon White hardtop coupe in the photos has tri-bar fender emblems with the "289" at the top, but no 289 "V" badge up by the nose, so it's hard to be sure what was originally going on under the hood.

Car Life tested a coupe with the 225hp Challenger Special 289 and Cruise-O-Matic and managed an 8.5 second zero-to-sixty time with a 16.8 second quarter mile run at 84 mph on the way to a top speed of a buck ten. Price as tested was $3,152 in 1965 dollars, or about $32,275 in 2025 money.

The one in the pics was snapped with a Nikon D7100 and a 16-80mm f/2.8-4E zoom lens in June of 2022.

1967 Ford Mustang

The 1967 model year brought the first redesign of the original pony car, Ford's wildly successful Mustang. It was a subtle update. Wheelbase remained the same at 108", but a couple inches were added in length and width. Notably, room was added under the hood to allow installation of Ford's FE big block motors.

Body styles on offer remained the same: a notchback or fastback coupe, and a convertible.

The base motor remained the 200 cubic inch Thriftpower OHV inline six, rated at 120 SAE gross horsepower. The 289 V-8 was on the menu in three flavors: a two-barrel Challenger making 200 horsepower, a four-barrel Challenger Special rated at 225 ponies, and the snarling "K-code" Cobra hi-po variant that swung 10.5:1 pistons and slurped high octane fuel to belt out 271 horses. Finally, the 390 cubic inch Thunderbird V-8 topped the options list with a rated 320 SAE gross horsepower.

This Lime Gold 1967 coupe would have had the two-barrel Challenger 289 small block. Motor Trend tested a '67 coupe with the four-barrel Challenger Special and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 9.5 seconds and a quarter mile run of 17 seconds flat at 81mph through the traps, while noting a tested fuel economy of 15 miles per gallon.

This one was photographed in November of 2018 in Los Alamos, New Mexico using a Fujifilm X-E1 and a Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 lens.

1986 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

When the Mustang II launched in 1974 it could be had as a notchback coupe or a three-door hatchback with a sleek fastback roofline. What was missing from Ford's pony paddock for the first time since the debut of the first 1964½ 'Stangs was a convertible.

It wasn't until the fifth model year of the third generation "Fox body" Mustangs that the convertible made its return after a decade-long hiatus. For 1985, the Mustang got a newer, more aerodynamic nose, with a little mailbox slot in the fascia replacing the eggcrate grille but retaining the inset quad headlamps because the government was dragging their feet about approving modern composition headlamps.

In 1986, the droptop model was available in both LX and GT trim levels, like this Oxford White example. (Only distinguishable from the '85 by the third brake light integrated into the standard decklid-mounted luggage rack.) Under the hood, the new standard motor for the GT was the trusty 5.0L "Windsor" 302cid pushrod V-8, now featuring sequential fuel injection and rated at 200 SAE net horsepower, backed with a 5-speed Borg-Warner transmission.

Car and Driver tested an '86 LX 2-door coupe with the EFI 5.0 motor and the five-speed gearbox and and it returned a zero-to-sixty time of 6.2 seconds, only a tenth of a second slower than the 5.7L IROC-Z Camaro in the same test, although the gap opened to four tenths in the quarter, with the 'Stang's 14.9 second E.T., and the Camaro's better aero and bigger motor paid off the most on the top end, where it exceeded the LX's 132mph top speed by an even ten miles per hour.

The convertible in the pictures here would be a couple hundred pounds heavier than that LX coupe, so adjust expectations accordingly.

It was photographed in June of 2025 using a Canon EOS R and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens. 

1983 Ford Mustang GT

1983 marked the fifth model year of the Fox Body Mustang. It had by now lasted as long as the entire run of the ill-fated Mustang II, although nobody realized that it would hang on for almost another decade.

The effects of the 1979 Gas Crisis were still fresh in everyone's mind and Ford, like other Detroit automakers saw the V-8 as an endangered species. In fact, from the middle of the model year, the 1983 Mustang GT was available with an optional 2.3L Turbo four making 145 SAE net horsepower.

The standard GT engine, though, was the 5.0L H.O. small block like the one in this Bright Red hatchback, with a four-barrel carburetor, a new high performance cam, and a low restriction dual-snorkel air cleaner combining to boost the output to 175 horses, which was an 18hp bump from the 1982 model.

Motor Trend tested a 5.0 five-speed GT and managed a 7.4 second run to sixty and a 16.06 quarter mile at 81.5 through the traps. They didn't measure the top speed, but Car and Driver got their '83 GT up to 128mph on the track.

The 1983 Ford Mustang GT represented the final year of the Malaise Era. For 1984 the 5.0 would see its output bumped to 210hp, which was the first time a Mustang engine had cracked the 200 horsepower barrier since the 351 Cobra Jet "Q-code" motor of 1973, which put out 266 net ponies and was the swan song of the original Muscle Car Era.

This one was photographed in May of 2025 using a Sony a700 and a Sony ZA 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar* zoom lens.

1969 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

The second restyling of the first generation Ford Mustang, the 1969 model saw the wheelbase remain the same but the overall length increase by nearly four inches. The sides now bulged outward and the styling displayed more muscular looking haunches. The front end was more aggro-looking, with quad headlamps, the inboard pair set in the grille.

Front and rear spoilers were now options, as was a shaker hood scoop on the more potent optional V-8s.

This GT convertible in Candy Apple Red would have come with a two-barrel 351 Windsor V-8 with a single exhaust as the standard engine, rated at 250 gross horsepower. The next option up was a 351 Windsor with a four-barrel carb, dual exhausts, and a 10.7:1 compression ratio requiring premium gas. Judging by the hood badge and exhaust setup, this 290-horse motor is what was under the hood of this one.

There were three big blocks on offer, as well. The 390 FE motor with 320 horsepower was the smallest, and then there were two 428's in the catalog: The 428 FE, which made 335 horsepower, and then the 428 Cobra Jet Ram-Air motor which...supposedly also only made 335 horsepower.

1969 saw the introduction of the Mach I Mustang as well, which outsold the GT by a twelve-to-one ratio, leading to the latter being dropped in the middle of the model year after only 5,396 were sold.

The one in the picture was photographed with a Canon EOS 7D and EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS zoom lens in September of 2023.

1966 Ford Mustang Convertible

We've seen a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible on these pages before, but it was a GT model. This Dynasty Green droptop 'Stang, on the other hand, is just a regular Mustang.

The fender badges say it has the 289 cubic inch Ford small block V-8 under the hood. It could either be the two-barrel Challenger V-8 with a 9.3:1 compression ratio, rated at 200 SAE gross horsepower, or the Challenger Special V-8, with a four-barrel carb, 10.0:1 compression, and an output of 225 horses. With the bucket seats and styled steel wheels, this is a pretty nicely optioned summertime cruiser.

It was photographed in September of 2021 using a Canon EOS 5DS and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens.

1996 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

The third year of the fourth generation of Ford Mustangs was a notable one. The 1996 model year saw the absence of the classic Windsor pushrod V-8 that, in one form or another, had always had a home under Mustang hoods ever since the start back in 1964. (Well, except for the cursed year of 1974, about which we do not speak.)

Instead of the classic 302cid "5.0" motor... which was actually 4.9 liters, but that doesn't look as cool on fender badges ...the '96 Mustang GT, like the Pacific Green convertible above, had a SOHC 2V version of Ford's new 4.6L Modular V8, rated at 215 SAE net horsepower. The power and torque outputs were pretty much the same as the 5.0L H.O. motor it replaced, but unavoidably came a few hundred RPM further along on the tachometer dial. The motor was also much smoother and helped improve the car's general NVH.

Performance was close enough that variations between individual cars were more likely to determine the outcome than whether the car was a '95 5.0 or a '96 4.6.

This one was photographed in December of 2023 using a Pentax Q7 and 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 02 Standard Zoom lens.

1966 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

The "corralled pony" in the middle of the grille with a horizontal crossbar but no corresponding vertical crossbar tells us this Mustang convertible is a 1966 GT model. Other GT tells are the fog lights, rocker panel stripes, and the (duh) GT fender badges.

The chrome accents make the styled steel wheels pop and the Nightmist Blue is such an attractive color on these clean-looking early First Generation 'Stangs.

The fender badges tell us there's a 289 Ford Small Block V-8 under the hood, and the fact that it's a GT means that it's either the 225 horsepower four-barrel motor or the gnarly K-code 289, rated at 271 SAE gross horsepower. Statistically speaking, it's almost certainly the 225-horse, or "A-code" motor. Of the slightly less than 5,500 K-code Mustangs sold in 1966, something like six percent went into convertibles. A GT convertible is something of a rarity in itself, representing only 12,520 of the over 607,000 Mustangs that sold that year.

This one was photographed in June of 2024 using an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and a Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens.

1965 Ford Mustang 2+2 GT

The Falcon-based Mustang that inaugurated the sporty compact genre named after it, "pony cars", was initially offered as a notchback coupe and a convertible. Those two body styles were joined in its first full model year of production by a fastback coupe that Ford called the "2+2". 

That designation can be seen on the fender badges of the Raven Black 1965 2+2 GT parked on College Avenue in the SoBro neighborhood of Indianapolis back in early April of 2018.

The arrangement of bars surrounding the "corralled pony" on the grille mark it as a GT, and specifically a '65, as the 1966 grille lacked the vertical bars in the center. Amber fog lights were apparently less common than clear ones. This one lacks the rocker stripes usually found on GTs, but some came without them and some owners removed theirs. The rear valance with exhaust cutouts and the grille lead me to believe it's a real GT and not a base fastback LARPing as one.

The GT only came with a choice of 3- or 4-speed manual transmissions. Under the hood was either an "A-code" 225 horsepower 289 4-barrel Challenger V-8 or the "K-code" HiPo 289 Challenger rated at 271 SAE gross horsepower.

The K-code motor had numerous differences, from the special crankshaft and harmonic balancer all the way up to the un-silenced air cleaner. It had a bigger carb, hotter cam, solid lifters, and a 10.5:1 compression ratio and a host of little details garnered from Ford racing motors of the era.

Car and Driver tested a '65 fastback with the K-code motor and four-speed and reported a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds and a blistering quarter mile run of 14.0 seconds at 100mph through the traps.

While this may sound sus, it was running on sticky (for the time) optional 15" semi-race rubber and, more importantly, swinging a set of 4.11:1 gears in the diff. While a 4.11 rear end would make for extremely unpleasant cruising at anything much over 50mph, it'd launch that thing like an F-18 Hornet off a steam catapult.

The photo above was taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 and an M. Zuiko Digital 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO zoom lens.

1970 Ford Mustang Convertible

Here it is, the last year before the bloat: a 1970 Ford Mustang. The '69-'70 Mustangs were already noticeably pudgier than previous models, and enthusiast magazines of the time had taken note. In a test of a 1969 Mach I with a 428 Cobra Jet, Car and Driver wrote:

Since the basic Mustang shape has been a howling success in the market, you can't blame Ford for sticking with a winner. But you can blame it for excess. Since the long hood/short deck styling theme has been rewarding, more of the same should be even better, right? So for '69 the Mustang grew 3.8 inches—all ahead of the front wheels. Believe us, that is the last thing the Mustang needed. The test car with its 428 Cobra Jet engine has 2140 of its 3607 lbs. balanced on the front wheels and that's with a full gas tank. Fifty nine point three per cent of its weight on the front wheels. Double grim. Any rear-wheel-drive car would be hamstrung with that kind of weight distribution and the Mustang is no exception. It can't begin to put its power to the ground for acceleration. And, when it comes to handling, the most charitable thing to say is that the Mustang is all thumbs.

Ouch.

The 1970 models were more of the same. The base engine for '70 was the 120-horsepower 200 cubic inch Thriftpower inline-6 cylinder. The Grabber Orange convertible in the photograph, however, sports a shaker hood scoop and dual exhausts, so it's no six-banger secretarymobile. The scoop is most likely attached to a 4-barrel 351 Cleveland V-8, with an 11.1:1 compression ratio, rated at 300 SAE gross horsepower.

The pony-and-tri-bar emblem on the '70s is in the center of the grille, while on '69s it was offset to the driver's side.

That 351 Cleveland had to lug roughly 3400 pounds of Mustang down the road, the bulk of it over the front wheels, so you had understeer for days, which you could turn into oversteer by glancing at the throttle and thinking heavy thoughts. Acceleration was traction limited, running 0-60 in the mid 8-second range with the 4bbl 351 and a three-speed slushbox.

The one in the photos was snapped in July of 2014 with a Nikon Coolpix S6500.

1983 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

1983 was a big year for Ford's Mustang for several reasons. 

It received its first big styling refresh since the Fox body Third Generation pony car had debuted in 1979. In addition to revised taillights and other trim and interior details, the snout was revised, with a slimmer grille and better aero, giving a claimed ~2% reduction in drag.

Not content to cede the droptop renaissance to GM and Chrysler, the convertible Mustang returned after a decade-long hiatus. Ford performed the roof-ectomy in-house, rather than farming the work out to ASC. Initially only offered on the Mustang GLX, it was joined mid-year by a ragtop GT. Despite their high price premium over a hardtop 'Stang, convertible sales wildly exceeded the manufacturer's expectations. (GT hatchbacks started at $9,300 while base price for a GT convertible was $13,479, or the equivalent of $42,600 in 2024 dollars.)

Finally, the GT version saw big performance gains. The 302 Windsor V-8 under the hood saw the previous year's 2-barrel carb replaced by a genuine Holley 4-barrel, while the exhaust system was reworked for better flow, including a more efficient catalytic converter. As a bonus, the previous 4-speed overdrive manual, with its awkward, widely-spaced gear ratios, was replaced by a 5-speed Borg Warner T5.

The results were impressive, with an 11.5% horsepower bump over the previous year (157 to 175 SAE net). Car & Driver tested an '83 hardtop GT and recorded a zero to sixty time of 7.0 seconds and a 15.4 quarter at 90 mph. The 5.0L H.O. pushed that new aero snout through the air all the way to 125 miles per hour, too. The Medium Charcoal GT convertible in the picture would have been a few ticks more sluggish due to the added weight of the stiffening added to keep the chassis flex to a tolerable minimum.

It was a pretty clear statement from Ford that the Malaise Era was done in Dearborn.

The one in the photo was captured in July of 2022 using a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and an EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens.

1971 Ford Mustang Convertible

Of all the days to leave a camera at home while running errands, I had to pick one where this '71-'72 Mustang convertible was parked out in front of the local car stereo installer.

Fortunately the longer lens on the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a ~77mm focal length equivalent and will take a pretty undistorted pic if you have room to back up, unlike the regular ~28mm camera, which always gives funhouse proportions.

'71-'72 was the beginning of the end for the original Muscle Car-era Mustangs. Mustangs are, properly, pony cars, not muscle cars, but that's another post.

The body was widened to accommodate the Lima-series 429 big block V-8s, after squeezing the Lima-derived Boss 429 hemi motor into the eponymous '69-'70 Boss 429 cars required engine bay surgery at Kar Kraft of Dearborn to shoehorn the motors in.

For '71 you could get your Mustang with anything from a 145bhp (SAE gross) Thriftpower 250 cid I-6 to a snarling 375hp 429 Super Cobra Jet big block.

Motor Trend tested a sampling of 1971 model 'Stangs: A Boss 351, a Mach 1 with the 429 Cobra Jet, and a base hardtop coupe with the 220hp two-barrel 302. The base hardtop had a three-speed automatic and managed a 9.9 second zero-to-sixty time and a 17.5 quarter at 78mph. With A/C, an AM/FM stereo, power front discs and power steering, the car was fairly well-optioned and stickered at $2,983, which is about $29,600 in current dollars. 

By comparison, the snarling Boss 351 with a four-speed sprinted to sixty in 5.8 seconds and cracked off a 13.8 quarter at 104mph; one of the last hurrahs of the Muscle Car Era.

In just three years, the Mustang would be a Pinto.

1984 Ford Mustang SVO

Here's a fairly rara avis, especially just out and running about as what looks to be a more-or-less daily driver. This would be an '84 Ford Mustang SVO, painted Medium Canyon Red Glow. 

Developed in the early '80s when it was feared that oil embargoes and gas crises and EPA & CAFE regs spelled the certain death of the V-8, the Mustang SVO was an attempt at pioneering a credible performance future with four bangers. It was as much a technology demonstrator as it was a production model, a sort of blue collar Porsche 959.

In addition to an intercooled turbo four that pumped out 175 bhp in the debut year (205 in the subsequent model year) it had new aero body styling cues that would become standard across the Mustang line. It was the first Fox-body Mustang with 5-lug wheels and featured a revamped suspension. Car and Driver testing of an '85 model turned up a zero-to-sixty time of 6.8 seconds, a top speed of 129mph, and .79 G's on the skidpad; all numbers pretty much equivalent to the contemporary carburetted V-8 model and not too far off my own 2.8L BMW Z3 from a decade and a half later.

The odd-looking headlights are because the '84 SVO was to debut flush aero headlight covers for the Mustang, but DOT approval didn't arrive in time for production. (Yes, kids, Uncle Sam used to protect us from the dangers of headlamp covers.)

This one was snapped in April of 2017 with an iPhone 6s.

1992 Ford Mustang LX Convertible

By the early Nineties, the 3rd Generation Mustangs, known to enthusiasts as Fox Body cars, were getting long in the tooth. A replacement was already in the works, and it would be another front-engine rear-wheel drive car with an optional V-8; fan outcry had saved the Mustang from being re-cast as a Mazda-sourced FWD coupe. (That car was instead being sold as the Ford Probe.)

Sales hadn't been strong in the recession of the early '90s and so ambitious plans for the next generation 'Stang were shelved in favor of a much more modest upgrade. In the meantime, the Fox Body would need to soldier on for another couple model years.

For 1992 the only really new external visual cue was the black rubber strip in the side molding and bumpers was replaced with one in body color, as can be seen on this Bright Calypso Green LX ragtop.

The LX came from the factory with a 2.3L SOHC inline four; Ford's Lima motor that had been around since the days when it was found under the hoods of '74 Pintos. Now sporting electronic fuel injection and dual spark plug heads, it was rated at 108 SAE net horsepower. The only optional motor was Ford's 5.0L H.O. V-8. Either engine could be had with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

The pony fender badges, rather than prominent chrome "5.0" ones, tell us this is a four-cylinder secretarymobile, like roughly half of all Mustangs sold that year. No race car, but certainly a pleasant cruiser with the top down on a sunny summer day. Besides, the fuelie OHC twin plug Lima probably made as much juice as any six cylinder available in a First Generation 'Stang.

This one was photographed in September of 2023 using a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens.

1964½ Ford Mustang Convertible

Check out this Cascade Green 1964½ Ford Mustang convertible! Officially, according to Ford and the VIN plate, it's a 1965 model, but the first Mustangs built from the spring of '64 until the actual start of Ford's 1965 model year later that fall are known by fans as "1964½" cars.

By building a sportily-styled 2+2 coupe with front bucket seats and a console-mounted shifter on the basic underpinnings of their compact Falcon sedan, Ford created a whole new class of automobile for the American market: the "Pony Car". It sold like gangbusters and was immediately* joined by the Plymouth Valiant-based Barracuda and, later, the Chevy Camaro, which shared the front subframe of the Nova compact.

The fender badges say it has a 289 V-8. Prior to the official start of the 1965 model year, there was no 2-barrel version of the 289 offered in the Mustang, with the cheap V-8 role being filled by the 2bbl 260cid Fairlane V-8. The 289 would be one of two 4bbl variants, either the 210bhp 9.0:1 compression version, or the hi-power "K-code" motor, which was considerably beefier, with an output of 271 SAE gross horsepower.

Car and Driver did a full road test on the '64½ convertible with the 210-horse 289 and the 4-speed manual and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 8.2 seconds and a 16.4 second quarter at 81.5 miles per hour. Sprightly enough, if not exactly scorching. Figure a K-code car would likely shave a couple seconds off both those figures, although you had to drive it out of the hole carefully, because the hotter 289 would easily send those skinny bias-ply tires up in smoke.

This one was photographed in March of 2023 using a Nikon D700 and 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens.

*...and when I say "immediately", I mean immediately. Mopar fans will gleefully point out that the Barracuda was actually the first Pony Car to go on sale, having beat the Ford to showrooms by almost two weeks. The Mustang program was a poorly-kept secret around Detroit, and the rush program to put a glass fastback and bucket seats in a Valiant got iron on the streets before Dearborn did.