The Ford Fox Body Mustang is arguably one of the most popular of the generations for two simple reasons. The Fox Body was affordable and easy to modify and build. The car also succeeded the Mustang II, one of the worst versions of the 'Stang to ever be manufactured. In the mid to late '80s, this car came crawling out from under the power restrictions and issues of the past to bring upon the world a Mustang that was once again muscle and performance all wrapped up into one beautiful car. Let's take a deeper look at the exciting and durable Foxbody Mustang.

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10 An American Audi Fox

A parked 1979 Ford Mustang
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The idea of using one similar chassis across Ford's mid-sized car lineup began years before the Fox Body Mustang made its debut. In 1972, the idea was used to create the Mustang II, which was in response to the great success of foreign carmakers in the U.S. The Mustang II was not a car well received by American car buyers, but when the Fox Body Mustang was introduced, it was a booming success. A design borrowed from the Audi Fox to create an American version of the popular foreign-built car that had taken away many sales that Ford was hoping to regain.

9 Saves On Fuel By Reducing The Drag

A parked Ford Fox Body Mustang
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For years, NASCAR and other circuit racing teams had been working to reduce the wind restrictions caused while driving. The Fox Body Mustang engineers had also been working on bringing the ideas and tactics to a road car that could push through the air at high speeds while displacing that air around the vehicle. Using that air to help the car stay on the road with downdraft technology. The design of the Fox Body worked perfectly, allowing it to rocket down any track without any wind resistance slowing it down. Speed is not the only benefit of aerodynamic styling. It also created a car that saved on fuel, no matter how it was driven from point A to point B.

Related: Here Are 10 Lesser-known Things About The Ford Mustang

8 Weighs Less Than The Outgoing Mustang II

A parked 1989 Ford Mustang SSP
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The Mustang II was a car built to meet the new restrictions and the public's demand for more fuel efficiency. Like most of the other muscle cars of the past, this generation temporarily squashed the idea of a performance car that could perform. Weight was one of the most significant issues for the Mustang II because the smaller, less powerful engine could not quickly propel the car down any track. The Fox Body changed that through the aerodynamic outer styling, as well as a 200-pound reduction of weight due to the careful selection of materials by the engineers and developers.

7 The Mustang Became A Performance Car

A parked red 1993 Ford Mustang LX
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The Fox Body Mustang of 1979 was an instant success with Mustang lovers across the nation. The car came with a base-level four-cylinder, but it was offered with a turbocharger or a small V-8. What made the most impact was the change to the suspension underneath. The Macpherson struts with coil springs were placed to improve performance, and the addition of rack and pinion steering created a Mustang built for performance, comfort, and speed (more so in the '80s with the 5.0-liter), all at a price that every average consumer could afford.

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6 Fox Body Mustangs Are No Longer Affordable

A parked 1993 Ford Mustang LX
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When the Fox Body Mustang first came out, the idea was to offer an affordable option to the growing popularity of performance cars rather than all-out muscle. Ford stayed within the guidelines by providing the first year of cars for a mere average of $4,000 (around $17,000 today). Until the new Ford Mustang decided to honor the Fox Body design, the car could be bought for $10,000 or so, but now, that is not the case. Mustang lovers have been pushed back into time, realizing just how great the '79 to '93 Mustang truly was. This has raised prices for a Fox Body Mustang to levels that are no longer affordable for average enthusiasts.

5 Classic Car Leading The Way For Today's Performance

A parked red 1993 Ford SVT Cobra Mustang
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The '70s and '80s were generally sad for muscle car enthusiasts because they were simply not being built. As the world continues to move into the future, the all-out muscle car is still a thing of the past, but out of those ashes has come a new type of vehicle designed for performance and speed. Without the cars such as the Fox Body Mustang, these high-performance vehicles would not have been a thought. The third-generation of Mustang is now a classic car, but it was a classic that led the way for today's performance cars.

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4 Perfect For The Track And For Drifting

A parked Ford Mustang GT
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Without the proper modifications, such as swapping the stock engine out and replacing it with a Coyote engine, the Fox Body Mustang is not much to consider today. However, when it was in production, it was one of the top-performing cars. The basic 5.0-liter engine under the hood could push horsepower into the 200s. With the improved suspension on the front and back of the car, it was one of the leading cars on the track. Before the tuner cars came onto the scene, it was also one of the few stock cars that could excel at drifting through corners.

3 The First SVT Cobra Was A Fox Body

A parked view of a 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
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Whether Mustangs are on the list of most-loved cars or not, everyone knows what the Cobra Mustang is all about. Power, torque, speed, and performance are all wrapped into one stylish vehicle. Improving upon that is the SVT Cobra car, which was designed and produced by Ford's Special Vehicle Team that was put in place to develop a race-ready car that could compete as soon as it rolled out of the production lines. The first SVT Cobra was designed in the last year of the Fox-Body Mustang, making it a once-in-a-lifetime union between two great performance cars.

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2 It Made The 5.0-liter Engine Famous

A parked Ford Mustang GT convertible
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The 5.0-liter engine is perhaps one of the most popular buying choices in Ford cars and trucks today. Since its first production in 1978 (not counting the 302 Windsor before the actual 5.0-liter designation), the powerplant has had a following of enthusiasts. It has always offered a decent amount of power with better fuel economy and fewer emissions than the bigger engines that could be opted for. The main reason that all Ford lovers comprehend the invaluable uses of the 5.0-liter is because of the Fox Body Mustang that made it famous.

1 2024 Mustangs Honor The Foxbody Mustang

A parked black 1993 Ford SVT Cobra Mustang
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It may be a puzzle why so many people are starting to remember the once-great Fox Body Mustang. The reason behind the renewed fascination with the third generation of 'Stang is that the 2024 Ford Mustang has honored the car by installing the same design for its instrument panel cluster. The gauges are designed to be digital and programmable. One of the choices is replicating the older classic-style instrument panel found in all Fox Body Mustangs.

FAQ

Q: What Does Fox Body Mean On The Mustang?

It is commonly attributed to the exterior styling of the body, but that is not the true meaning of Fox Body. The car's design was built on a universal chassis style called the Fox Platform. The Mustang was not the first car to be built upon this chassis, but it was definitely the one that made consumers take notice.

Q: Was The Fox Body Mustang Fast?

The Fox Body Mustang came with a few different engine sizes. The most well-known was the 5.0-liter which could push out over 200 horses and around 300 pound-feet of torque. When you factor in the car's low weight, the 6.5 seconds it takes to get from 0 to 60 mph feels like you are being shot out of a canon.

Q: What Year Fox Body Mustang Is The Best?

There are numerous years throughout its long production run that could be called great, but the one that has to get the honors of being the best is the 1993 SVT Cobra Mustang. It was the first year the SVT was built and the last year of the Fox Body Mustang. It is the best of both worlds, all wrapped up in one

Q: Why Are Fox Body Mustangs So Popular?

One of the biggest reasons that the Fox Body Mustang is getting so much attention is that the new 2024 Mustang has an instrument cluster that is programable. This allows the gauges to have the look of the classic styled Fox Body Mustang. Plus, the Fox Body is one of the lightest performance cars ever built, with plenty of room for improvements, including swapping out the original engine for a Chevy 350.