We remember Hot Rod's Mustang primarily for the classics, but as interest in the high-performance FOX-body Mustangs began to ramp up in the mid-1980s, it was no secret attitudes were changing. Ford was building exciting Mustangs again with fuel injection, roller tappets, disc brakes, beefy suspension systems, meaty rubber, torso-embracing bucket seats, five-speed transmissions, and more. What's more, these were Mustangs you could drive Monday through Friday and take to the racetrack on Saturday night. It was impossible to ignore.
Mustang & Fords has always...
Mustang & Fords has always been about stepping outside the box. This is one of our oddest spreads from the mid-1980s - four-wheeling in a classic Mustang.
Not everyone will agree with this statement, but it seems the Mustang's most pivotal year was 1985 when it received roller tappets, quad-shocks, larger wheels and tires, a meaty rear axle, and dual exhausts. For us, that's when the pendulum began to shift toward late-model Mustang performance. In 1986, Ford fitted the Mustang with fuel injection, which some believe symbolized the end of a tunable Mustang. Not us. We were determined to learn how the darned things worked and went after them aggressively. Ford had a solid, reliable performer in its 5.0L High Output Mustang GT and LX.
As Ford refined the Mustang, we went along for the ride and liked what we saw and experienced. First, we became acquainted with Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection (SEFI), we started showing our readers how to tune it themselves. In due course, the aftermarket got involved, bringing its own set of fast-quick solutions to performance challenges. Collective efforts between our advertisers and editorial department enlightened our readers, making them more comfortable with the mysteries of automotive electronics.
When it looked like Ford might chloroform the Mustang name, a die-hard enthusiast inside Ford, John Coletti, went to bat for the most successful American automotive nameplate ever. Coletti was a Ford engineer who convinced Ford management to give him a shot at redesigning the Mustang. He amassed a team of very committed, talented people to develop an all-new FOX-4 Mustang with the heart and soul of Ford's original. Ford called it SN-95. Job 1 was scheduled for October of 1993 at the Dearborn Assembly Plant.
Ford launched the SN-95 Mustang with a 100-city introduction in September of 1993. Enthusiasm for the new Mustang was overwhelming, and a powerful message for those of us in the magazine business. The 1982-94 5.0L High Output Mustang had a following all its own. What's more, a sizable percentage of that following were classic Mustang buffs.
Jerry Pitt and John Dianna got their heads and gut instincts together to plan and produce a spin-off of Mustang & Fords to be known as 5.0 Mustang, which has been in print since 1994. Mustang & Fords could then focus on the subject it knew best - classic Mustangs and vintage Fords.
 In 1986, we began catering...  In 1986, we began catering more to the concours-restored crowd, putting more showroom original rides in our magazine. Our focus leaned more toward restoration while staying true to our modified roots. |  MUSTANG yearbooks were an...  MUSTANG yearbooks were an opportunity to squeeze in more editorial where it didn't fit bi-monthly. We haven't done one of these in a long time. |  Times have surely changed...  Times have surely changed at Mustang & Fords because we don't do this anymore either. Because more and more women are reading our magazine and building really terrific rides, we're of the belief this just isn't the place for bikinis - no matter how hot and wild they might seem. |