1996 Ford Mustang

When the Ford Mustang was introduced in the early 1960s, it created the 'pony car' class of American muscle cars. They were affordable sport coupes that had long hoods and short rear decks. By 1996, the Ford Mustang was offered in three trim levels including the base, GT, and Cobra. The one-year-only GTS coupe of 1995 was dropped. The Cobra Convertible built by Ford's Special Vehicle Team was not put into production until the spring of 1996; the coupe body style had been available since the beginning of the model year.

Ford renewed the Cobra name in 1993, bestowing refinements that reflected customer feedback, particularly in regards to its ride and handling. It became more civil and comfortable, and competed for buyers who might otherwise have considered a Mercedes-Benz or BMW. This refinement continued with the introduction of the 'fourth generation' (code named SN95) in November 1993, the first major redesign of the Mustang in fifteen years. The new styling philosophy by Patrick Schiavone looked to the past while leaning to the future. A notchback coupe joined the list of available body styles and featured frameless door windows and a fixed 'B' pillar. The interior had a 'dual cockpit' layout with contours and curves similar to those found on the Thunderbird of the time. Three-point seat belts and dual front airbags were standard equipment.

1996 Ford Mustang GT
The Ford GT (Coupe: 249A; Convertible: 249C) had GT sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a rear spoiler, dual illuminated visor mirrors, a power driver's seat, power windows, power door locks, power decklid release, air conditioning, speed control, an AM/FM stereo radio with cassette and premium sound, and cast aluminum wheels. Optional axle ratios were available for an additional $200. Anti-lock brakes (standard on the Cobra) were $570. An engine block heater, not available on the Cobra, was priced at $20.

1996 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
The SVT Cobra was the high-performance version of the Ford Mustang, positioned above the Mustang GT. It came standard with anti-lock brakes, floor mats, an electric rear window defroster, and a remote keyless illuminated entry system. It had a power driver's seat, speed control, and shocks and struts sourced from Tokico. The 4.6-liter small block V8 engine was paired with a five-speed Borg-Warner World Class T-5 transmission with custom gearing on first to third gears.

Cobra Interior and Exterior Color Options
The 1996 SVT Cobra interior was offered in black or saddle cloth, or black or saddle leather. The vinyl top on the Cobra convertibles was the same one used on non-SVT Cobras, available in black, saddle, or white. Exterior colors included black, laser red, crystal white, and mystic.

Cobra Coupe production totals:
- 1,429 in crystal white
- 1,940 in laser red
- 1,999 in mystic
- 2,124 in black

Cobra Convertible production totals:
- 494 in crystal white
- 962 in laser red
- 1,054 in black

The Mystic Cobra
Ford introduced the Mystic Cobra for the 1996 model year to showcase the mechanical achievements of the new modular engine. The Mystic paint scheme had color-shifting ChromaFlair pigments from Flex Products, formulated by BASF, with the color shifting from green to amber to gold to purple (depending on the angle and availability of light). This Mystic paint option was priced at 815 and only offered on the Cobra Coupe. The 1996 Mystic Cobra was the first production vehicle to wear a color-shifting factory paint job.

A total of 1,999 examples of the Cobra Cobra were given this paint scheme in 1996, with nine having black cloth interiors and the remaining 1,990 examples receiving black leather interiors.

Creating the Mystic paint scheme took three years to complete.

Cobra Performance
The SVT Cobra was powered by a 305 horsepower 4.6-liter DOHC modular engine and could sprint from zero-to-sixty mph in 5.9 seconds. The quarter-mile was reached in 13.99 seconds at 101.6 mph.

1996 Ford Mustang Pricing and Production
The Ford Mustang coupe had a base price of nearly $15,200, while the convertible sold for just over $21,000. The Mustang Cobra Coupe sold for $24,800 with the convertible version selling for $27,600. Total coupe production for 1996 reached 92,655, while the convertibles totaled 33,781. This included 5,496 examples of the Mustang Cobra Coupe and 2,510 examples of the Mustang Cobra Convertible.

Engines
Power was provided by an overhead-valve V6 engine displacing 232 cubic inches (3.8 liters) and offering 150 horsepower. The GT versions had a 281 CID V8 delivering 215 hp, and the Cobra produced 305 horsepower and 300 lb-ft (410 Nm) of torque. The 281 CID V8 in the Cobra had an aluminum block and head and a higher compression ratio than the GT version. It had a 6,800 RPM redline, and fuel shut-off occurred at 7,000 RPM. The five-speed manual transmission was standard; a four-speed automatic with overdrive was available except on the Cobra. Four-wheel disc brakes were located at all four corners with the Cobra being given anti-lock technology.

The 5.0-liter (302 cubic inch) pushrod small-block V8 of the previous year - in use for nearly three decades - was discontinued and replaced by a newer Modular 4.6-liter (281 cubic-inch) SOHC V8 in the 1996 mustang GT and Cobra. The T45 five-speed manual transmission in the Cobra was also new, replacing the prior T5 unit.

Every 1996 Cobra engine was hand-assembled by two-person teams at the Ford Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Michigan. The engines, known as the Romeo engine, were given a label bearing the names and signatures of the two engine builders.

1996 Ford Mustang Dimensions
The 1996 Ford Mustang had a 101.3-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 181.5 inches, a 71.8-inch width, and a height of 52.9 inches (the Cobra had an 182.5-inch length).

1996 Ford Mustang Specifications
Ford spent approximately $700 million (USD) to update the Fox platform for the 1994 model year. Road noise and engine vibration were addressed, resulting in a more refined and comfortable Mustang than the previous generations. MacPherson struts were installed at the front of the car, along with longer lower control arms, anti-roll bars, and new spindles. The rear suspension had a solid axle and a four-bar link setup. Initially, this 'new generation' Mustang had a 2.73:1 rear axle ratio, but it was later changed to 3.27:1. Four-wheel disc brakes were standard, and anti-lock brakes (ABS) were optional equipment.

1996 Ford Mustang Options
The lengthy list of optional equipment available on the 1996 Mustang accommodates a variety of customer needs and desires, from performance to luxury and from safety to visual enhancements.

The Preferred Equipment Package (Mustang 241A) included power mirrors, windows, and door locks, air conditioning, cruise control, a trunk cargo net, and keyless entry.

The Mach 460 sound system had a CD player and 230-watt multi-speakers. 'Base' Mustangs could be purchased with 15-inch aluminum wheels ($265); 17-inch aluminum wheels on P245/45ZR17 BSW tires listed at $400. A California emission system was $100.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019