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What appeared for 1994 was a Mustang clearly influenced by the styling themes of Mustangs past. There was the galloping horse in the grille, the side scallop reappeared and the taillights were split into three segments (albeit horizontally instead of vertically). Inside, the cockpit featured a twin-pod dashboard that recalled the dashes used between '64 1/2 and '73. Only two body styles were now offered, a two-door coupe with a semifastback roof and a convertible.
The Fox platform was thoroughly reinforced for the '94 Mustang, but the basic modified MacPherson strut front and coil sprung solid rear axle returned intact. Four-wheel disc brakes were now used throughout the line with ABS optional.
The biggest beneficiary of the new structure was the drop top; this was the first Mustang convertible since the '73 that was actually conceived as a convertible and not a conversion. The new convertible's structure was significantly stiffer and the car handled better than the outgoing '93.
Engine choices were also pared down to two for '94. Base Mustangs (no more LX, just Mustang) got a fuel-injected development of the 3.8-liter Essex V6 rated at 145 horsepower. The Mustang GT got a revised version of the 5.0-liter V8 with a flatter intake manifold that was rated at 215 horsepower. The disappointingly low-output rating of the V8 made many suspect that the '93 5.0's down-rating to 205 horsepower was done in a relatively shallow attempt to mitigate any outcry resulting from the squashed intake's stealing power from the '94 5.0-liter. Both engines could be mated to either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions. |
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Available with either 16-inch or 17-inch wheels and tires, the '94 Mustang GT proved to be a better handling, more secure driving car than ever before. But it wasn't really any more sophisticated than the '93. Most tests of the time found the 5.0-liter V8's performance to be soft in comparison to the 5.0-liter used in the '93 Mustang.
For the third time in its history, the Mustang was chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500. Instead of conjuring up some sort of special edition for the Speedway, Ford assigned its Special Vehicle Team (SVT) the task of building another Cobra version of the Mustang. The result was a slightly modified GT wearing 17-inch wheels and, thanks to a set of Ford's "GT40" cylinder heads and a different intake, a 5.0-liter V8 making 240 horsepower. Cobras were distinguished by their own uniquely blistered hood, rear spoiler and front fascia with round foglamps and snake logos on their fenders and in their grilles. While the Cobra used to pace the 500 was a convertible, the Cobra coupe was more common. Fully 5,009 Cobra coupes were sold along with just 1,000 convertibles during '94.
The new Mustang was a hit, but hardly overwhelming. Selling into a market vastly more fragmented than it was in 1965, Ford sold 123,198 Mustangs during '94. Not bad at all considering that the car didn't go on sale until January of 1994.
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PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Standard Coupe: 48,873
GT Hardtop: 35,137
Cobra: 5,009
Standard Convertible: 19,471
GT Convertible: 27,582
Cobra Convertible: 1,002
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VIN NUMBERS - 1FALP42D6RF000001
1FA - Ford Motor Company
L - Active Belts and Airbags
P - Passenger car
42 - Body Code (40=Standard Coupe, 42=GT Coupe, 44=Standard Convertible, 45=GT Convertible)
D - Engine Code
6 - Variable digits
R - 1994 ("R" stands for 1994)
F - Assembly Plant (F=Dearborn)
000001 - Consecutive unit number
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BASE PRICES
Standard Coupe: $13,365
GT Hardtop: $17,280
Cobra: $21,300
Standard Convertible: $20,160
GT Convertible: $21,790
Cobra Convertible: $26,605
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ENGINES/ENGINE CODES
S - 2.3L 4-cyl. with 88hp
E - 5.0L V-8 with 215hp
D - 5.0L V-8 with 240hp |
EXTERIOR COLORS/COLOR CODE
Canary Yellow [GT only] - BZ
Vibrant Red [GT only] - ES
Iris - GC
Bright Blue - KF
Deep Forest Green - NA
Teal - RD
Black - UA
Opal Frost - WJ
Crystal White - ZF
Rio Red - E8
Laser Red - E9
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INTERIOR COLORS/INTERIOR TRIM CODE
Standard Coupe/Convertible
Bright Red
- Cloth = 6F
Black
- Cloth = 6J
Saddle
- Cloth = 6S
Opal Gray
- Cloth = 66
White [Conv. Only]
- Leather = Z
GT Hardtop/Convertible
Bright Red
- Cloth = 2F, Leather = 4F
Black
- Cloth = 2J, Leather = 4J
Saddle
- Cloth = 2S, Leather = 4S
Opal Gray
- Cloth = 26, Leather = 46
White [Conv. Only]
- Leather = Z |
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