Fox Mustang Production Numbers, Part 1

1982
This was a pivotal year for the ponycar. The GT, absent since mid-1969, was reintroduced, and the 5.0 V-8 once again powered the Mustang. Ford decided to rethink the Mustang. No longer would it be built to satisfy all motorists, but rather, it would fit in a certain niche where performance would be king. Production, though, would continue to slide-only 130,418 Mustangs would be built in 1982.

Sporting a large two-barrel carburetor, a special cam, and a single exhaust, the resurrected 5.0 put out 157 hp. The output certainly doesn't sound like much in this era of 390-horse supercharged Cobras and 300-horse GTs, but it was big news in 1982-a huge, positive step in the right direction.

Four colors were designated for the GT-red, bright red (late introduction), silver metallic, and black. But production figures show other hues sneaked through. For example, 154 were painted medium yellow.

In all, there were 11 colors in addition to the official 4. There were 35,435 GTs built.

1983
It's interesting to see the Mustang's reawakening. In spite of new styling, more power for the 5.0 (175 hp), and an advertising campaign touting "The Boss Is Back," sales continued their slide down to 120,873 units, making 1983 the lowest point to date for the Mustang.

Two new models were added to the lineup-the Turbo GT and a convertible. The Turbo GT was Ford's second attempt in making a go of the turbocharged 2.3 engine. This time around, it had electronic fuel injection, among other improvements, and the engine put out 145 hp. It was mated to the five-speed transmission, and it was not available with air conditioning. It was not well received by the buying public. The reality was that the 5.0 was faster, more reliable, and cheaper, too. Only 556 were made, making the Turbo GT quite rare.

The other new entry was the convertible. An outside company-Cars & Concepts-handled the conversion. It proved to be a popular choice.

For the collector, 1983 is probably a wise decision-after all, there can be an advantage to low production. It is a year of "firsts." First year for the Turbo GT, first year for a four-barrel carb on the 5.0 GT engine, and first year for the convertible.

As mentioned before, production for the Turbo GT was low, and next in line would be the convertible. Coupled with production of certain colors (see 1983 Colors), some interesting combinations emerge. For example, only 31 Light Desert Tan convertibles were built, and even with the notchback, 5.0 production figures show only 10 Bright Bittersweet units built.

1984
If you go to a big Ford show, you'll see lots of Mustangs, and of the early Fox cars, you'll see plenty of '84s. Why? First, it was the 20th anniversary of the Mustang, a long time for any kind of car. A commemorative edition was offered, and these always have a large following, no matter what the production.

The 20th Anniversary was available as a hatchback or a convertible-all were Mustang GTs with appropriate 20th Anniversary identification. A total of 5,260 were built, and according to the figures from the 20th Anniversary Registry, some interesting combinations are possible (see Production Figures table below).

The year 1984 also brought the unveiling of the Mustang SVO, which tried to run in the same league as European cars. It was powered by yet another version of the 2.3 turbocharged four-cylinder, one that put out as much horsepower as the 5.0 V-8. The SVO had the correct suspension and brake pieces, and it was luxurious. Though unpopular with buyers at the time who were drawn to the cheaper, faster, 5.0 GT, today's collectors and enthusiasts usually flock around such cars, and the Mustang SVO has proved to be no exception. There were 4,057 SVOs built.

At the same time, 1984 is a year of "lasts." The Turbo GT was put to rest as Ford decided to put engineering energy into supercharging. The Turbo GT, like its predecessors, never really caught on. There were 731 convertibles and 3,241 Turbo GT hatchbacks built.

Some interesting color combinations are possible as production records indicate. One is the Turbo GT convertible painted in Light Academy Blue-production records show that only one such car was built!

Our next article will cover years 1985 to 1993.

Fox Production Figures 1979-1984