1993 FORD MUSTANG COBRA
1996 FORD MUSTANG GT CONVERTIBLE
2024 FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
Perhaps nothing is more important to the Mustang story than the fans. This might sound like platitudinal BS, but it’s also true. At every turn when Ford could’ve either killed the famous pony car or made it worse, the Mustang’s wildly vocal and passionate fan base stepped in to save it from ruin (well, except for maybe the Mustang II). Everyone likes to wax nostalgic about the original “1964 ½” and Shelby Mustangs, but the truth is the two cars most responsible for keeping the model vital and setting it up for success into the 21st century are ’90s babies.
In 1990, a divided Berlin was becoming one again. Soviet citizens in Moscow were lining up for the communist bloc’s first Big Macs. In America, Vanilla Ice was cruising in his white-on-white “5.0” Mustang, lyricizing over Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” The Mustang was still a hot commodity, but sales weren’t quite cooking the Chevrolet Camaro like a pound of bacon, as Ice rapped in his hit single. Popularity of the long-in-tooth Fox-platform Mustang, new for 1979, had slumped since 1986 and was two years away from flatlining at 79,280 examples sold. Worse, the Camaro was about to outsell the Mustang for the first time in six years. The fact this was a self-inflicted wound didn’t make the pill any easier to swallow.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of Motor Trend.
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This story is from the July 2023 edition of Motor Trend.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH
THERE’S NO REST FOR SUV MAKERS IN THE INTENSE QUEST TO BE THE BEST
THE CHEVROLET BLAZER EV IS THE 2024 SUV OF THE YEAR
Once again, the bow-tie brand shows leadership in the electric vehicle space
AGENTS OF ZERO
WE DID IT AGAIN: RUNNING OUR VW ID4 EV OUT OF ELECTRICITY, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
THEY LISTENED
THE NEW TESLA MODEL 3 HIGHLAND FIXES NEARLY EVERYTHING WE HATED ABOUT THE OLD CAR
2023 Lexus RZ
Lexus says it will make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, and the new RZ 450e is the brand’s first dedicated EV. This midsize crossover indicates Lexus’ future lineup will have luxurious appeal, but we find this first effort lacking in crucial areas.
2024 Land Rover Defender
The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130’s wheelbase remains unchanged.)
2024 Kia Seltos
If you’ve been a fan of Kia’s recent styling direction but don’t want to pay top dollar for it, the 2024 Kia Seltos is a great way to get a rolling piece of that design aesthetic at a reasonable price.
2023 Jeep Compass
When asked to identify an off-road vehicle, the average person will point to just about any Jeep.
2024 Hyundai Kona
The Kona enters its second generation for 2024 with a new design language. It’s larger than the outgoing Kona, too, and its uncommonly ornate (for this class) and unmistakable design is something we’re already seeing in other upcoming Hyundai products. Having really liked the previous Kona, would our judges warm to this one?
2023 Ford Escape
The Escape is one of those SUVs that hasn’t ranked at the top of its class for a long time, but every time we drive one, we’re pleasantly surprised. Although it perpetually feels a little outdated, there’s some inherent goodness baked into the Escape.
