The Ford Mustang is a 2-door convertible / 2-door Coupe from Ford, built from 2004 to 2014, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Sid Ramnarace (2001, 2002) drew it.
The background
The fifth-generation Ford Mustang, is a two-door four-seater pony car manufactured and marketed by Ford from 2004 to 2014, for the 2005 to 2014 model years — carrying the internal designation S197 and marketed in coupe and convertible body styles. Assembly took place at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. The fifth-generation began with the 2005 model year, and received a facelift in 2009 for the 2010 model year.
Originally designed by Sid Ramnarace through late 2001 and finalized in mid-2002, the fifth-generation Mustang's design was previewed by two pre-production concept cars that debuted at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. Development on the S197 program began in 1999 under chief engineer Hau Thai-Tang, shortly after the 1998 launch of "New Edge" (SN95) facelift. From the second half of 1999, design work commenced under Ford design chief J Mays, and concluded in July 2002 with the design freeze. There have been several variants of the fifth-generation Ford Mustang that include the Mustang GT/California Special, Shelby Mustang, Bullitt Mustang, and Boss 302 Mustang.
Under the skin
The record carries the shape — a 2-door convertible / 2-door Coupe — and the layout: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The engine, output and weight have not yet reached the open record, and MotorJury does not guess at them.
Where it sits
Its family tree is legible: it took over from the Ford Mustang (fourth generation); its successor was the Ford Mustang (sixth generation); assembly was at Flat Rock, Michigan (Flat Rock Assembly Plant), United States. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Hyundai Tucson, the Chrysler 300, the Suzuki Swift — show what else the money bought that year. Its Ford stablemates include the Ford 021C and the Ford Escort.
What it costs now
The money question first: $16,600–$67,100 is the typical asking range today, and running it — fuel and maintenance at its age — costs about $3,237–$6,802 a year. Insurance sits around $1,610–$4,100 a year. The figures are class-level estimates from the federal record, with the formula on the methodology page; the model-year pages carry complaints, recalls and repair costs year by year.