CarBrandLogos archive · Ford Mustang · 2004

Ford MustangMustang (fifth generation, S197)

The retro gamble that made a 1967 fastback work as a modern car.

The story

A defining chapter in Ford Mustang history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Ford Mustang Mustang (fifth generation, S197), then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Sid Ramnarace's design put the Mustang back where its buyers wanted it: long bonnet, short deck, tri-bar lamps, a dashboard with a flat top and round dials. Underneath was the D2C platform, the first genuinely new Mustang architecture since the Fox car, and production moved to Flat Rock, Michigan, running from September 2004 to June 2014.

2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt · Heep · CC BY-SA 3.0

2005-2009 Ford Mustang GT convertible 01

Design and engineering

Ford was unapologetic about keeping a live rear axle. It was cheaper, stronger under drag-strip launches and simpler for the aftermarket, and the argument only became awkward when the car had to be sold against European rivals. The chassis was otherwise a large step forward in rigidity, and the coupe and convertible bodies both benefited.

2005-2009 Ford Mustang GT convertible 01 · OSX · Public domain

In production

The powertrains improved sharply mid-life. The 4.6-litre V8 gave way in 2011 to the 5.0-litre Coyote, a quad-cam engine that transformed the GT's character, and the base V6 was replaced by a modern 3.7. Above them sat a supercharged GT500 and, in 2012 and 2013, the Boss 302, a track-focused car whose engine and chassis tuning are still regarded as the high point of the generation. Retro styling could have aged badly; instead the S197 sold strongly for a decade and re-established the Mustang as a car people wanted rather than tolerated.

2005 Ford Mustang convertible concept · Kevin Tostado · CC BY 2.0

At a glance