Ford Mustang – Third Party Variants

The Ford Mustang has been one of the most celebrated American vehicles of all time. Production of the Mustang begun in Dearborn, Michigan in March of 1964 and was introduced to the public on April 17th, 1964. Since then there has been numerous concept cars, special editions, and modified Mustangs that have been brought into production. Ford and several other third party companies offered modified versions of the Mustang so that they could continue to cater to the car enthusiast who wants more power, better handling, and a classic style. Most of the Ford Mustang variants use the same mustang parts and to the consumer who has no idea about cars, they offer only slight differences from the original.

Some of the third party modifications include the Shelby Mustangs. These were made popular by Auto racer Carroll Shelby who created this mustang for serious track racers and called it the “GT-350.” These models were fitted with a “Hi-{p” 289, a 4 speed manual, and four front disc brakes as well as heavy duty rear drum brakes. Other visual variations included a shortened hood, identifying trim, and the deletion of rear seats. In 2007, 500 GT-H convertible Mustangs were produced after the large success of the 2006 Shelby GT-H Coupe which was designed as a tribute to the 1966 GT350-H. The GT500E was also designed by Shelby Autos specifically for the Touchstone Pictures film Gone in Sixty Seconds which starred Nicholas Cage. In 2008, the Shelby GT500 “Super Snake” was presented which was inspired by the 67′ version of the Super Snake. This Mustang is basically a 1968 GT500KR reassembled. It offers a 605 hp 5.4LEaton roots type supercharged version with warranty.

Roush performance was designed by former Ford engineer Jack Roush in 1988. This Mustang is available in three stages and three packages, Sport, Rally, and Premium. Beginning in 2007, Roush introduced the Sport and 427R editions which were based on the S-197 Mustang. This sport package became the Roush base model and comes equipped with body kits and high performance exhaust systems. Additionally, they come with an upgraded appearance package. In the same year as Jack Roush, Dario Orlando founded Steeda Autosports. Steeda is highly respected as one of the largest manufacturers of aftermarket performance parts and mustang parts in general.

Slightly before this, Saleen was founded by Steve Saleen in 1983. The first Saleens were primarily focused on looks and used stock Ford engines. Year after year the performance of a Saleen Mustang has improved more and more. Likewise, Saleen has proved himself by winning several races with his Mustangs. This includes the 24 hour Le Mans, 24 hour Daytona, and various SCCA championships throughout the years. Saleen produces many different versions of the Mustang and they are all called “S281.” It was inspired by the S281 SC with a supercharged 4.6 Liter V8, and the S302 Extreme, which has replaced the factory 4.6 liter with a Saleen-built V8 engine which increases the power from 465 hp to 620 hp.

Along with third party variants there are also several Ford in-house variants such as the Ford T-5, the California Special Mustang, and the Mustang Cobra II. Ford is always finding new ways to improve the most popular car in America. They’ve come out with special anniversary editions over the years remaining celebratory in their wide success since 1964.