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It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Ford is one of the more conservative brands out there when it comes to body design. You can produce some really cool-looking vehicles with this approach, like the mean-looking Ford F-150 Lobo and Maverick Lobo, which stand out in a crowd thanks to a handful of simple tweaks including new grilles and lowered suspension. But Ford isn’t a brand that typically swings for the fences with wild redesigns and crazy-looking special editions.

So the new Ford Mustang FX, a throwback to the Mustang Fox Body – the third-gen pony car that ran from 1979 to 1993 – comes as a pleasant surprise to fans of American muscle. The crisp line-work and boxy edges stand in sharp contrast to the smoothed-out shapes that dominate 21st century automotive body design, and we’re all for it. Except… it really makes us want to buy the third-gen Mustang it’s modeled after.

Why Is The Third-Gen Mustang Worth Homaging?

The 1974 Mustang was a malaise-era compromise which, to be fair, was a competent subcompact for its era. But that’s not the kind of praise you want to hear for a Ford Mustang. These days, the 88-horsepower Mustang II that oil crisis-era reviewers called “sufficient,” is a vehicle modern muscleheads might call “pathetic”, “lamentable” or something less polite.

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So the 1979 Mustang was special for a few reasons, not the least being that it was a return to form for an American classic. With a range of turbocharged and naturally aspirated four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines, including a 5.0 small block, a Cobra appearance package, and entry-level horsepower back in the triple digits, it was nothing short of a comeback story. And anyone who wasn’t a fan of the boxy new shape – which seemed to predict the look of 80s compacts a year in advance – could get used to it.

The SVT Cobra Was The Coolest Of The Bunch

The Fox Body Mustang ran for 16 model years, covering coupes and hatchbacks, and a 1987 facelift. When you say “Fox Body Mustang,” you could be talking about any one of more than a dozen variations of the car. The best of the bunch, if you can swing it, would obviously be the 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra, and it’s got to be teal for that early-90s vibe.

The Fox Body name refers to the fact that it was built on the Ford Fox platform. The Fox platform also hosted 1980s Thunderbirds and a range of Lincoln and Mercury models. The 1994 Mustang would be a total redesign, with the body leaning into mid-90s aerodynamism and smoothed out corners. It’s not a bad-looking car, but it’s not nearly as striking as the Fox Body.

A Look At The New Mustang FX

The Mustang FX is primarily an appearance package, which means you’re getting the same performance specs as a standard Ford Mustang GT coupe.

To go over some of the features Ford added to complete the early-90s vibe, besides the new body design itself:

• Mustang lettering on the rear glass and dashboard.
• White-painted wheels.
• White GT, Mustang Pony, and 5.0 badges.
• Optional white-accent tail lights.
• Plaid Recaro seats.
• Silver and Adriatic Blue (that’s the Ford color everyone calls teal) contrast stitching for interior inserts.
• Optional Fox Body gauge cluster design.

The FX package is exclusive to the GT, but they’re bringing Adriatic Blue back as a color option no matter what version of the Mustang you’re buying, so if you dig the color but don’t necessarily need to drive the four-wheeled equivalent of a VH1 I Love The 90s special around, Ford has you covered.

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But the Mustang story is far from over.

It’s Not Too Late For Dodge To Get In On This

The boxy Dodge Charger that ran from 1981 to 1987 doesn’t inspire nostalgia in quite the same way as the Mustang Fox Body. Nobody wanted an 84-hp Dodge Charger back then, they never got around to adding a V8, or even a V6 option, to this car, and they would pull the plug before the end of the decade. But, we think the Carroll Shelby-designed 1987 GLHS models would be worth revisiting.

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The 1980s Chargers looked cool in that 80s-futurism sort of way, they just didn’t perform like Chargers. When Shelby bought up a thousand units to overhaul with 175-hp turbocharged i4s, Getrag five-speed manuals, and upgraded suspension. Then again, it took so many changes to make the car fun to drive that the government classified them as Shelby models, and you won’t find a Dodge badge anywhere on these cars. We can’t say we blame Dodge to want to forget all about this era.

What Will An Original Fox Body Cost You Today?

According to Kelley Blue Book, here are the fair market prices you can expect to pay for a 1993 Ford Mustang in decent condition:

These prices assume up to 15,000 miles per year on the odometer, depending on factors like location, so be prepared to invest in a serious project car if you’re buying a Fox Body at these prices. But, if we look at what low-mileage ’93 Mustangs are going for at auction, prices are still within reason.

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A few of the auctions we were able to dig up on Bring a Trailer included:

• A 48,000-mile 1993 Mustang GT 5.0 selling for $29,009 in 2022.
• A 13,000-mile Turbocharged 1993 Mustang GT 5.0 selling for $24,000 in 2024.
• A 67,000-mile 1993 Mustang LX V8 selling for just $5,800.

It should be noted that the SVT Cobras are another matter entirely. A 15,000-mile unit failed to reach its reserve when the bidding closed at $23,750 in 2024, and we’ve seen them going for close to a quarter of a million bucks. Typically they sell in the $40,000 range, more than twice their original MSRP of $18,505.

Whether or not many people are actually buying them for these prices, sellers are looking at these auctions and thinking “one guy got six figures for his, why should I sell it to you for $20,000?” Our take: as cool as the SVT is, you’ll be happier shopping for a GT.

Sources: Ford, Bring a Trailer, Kelley Blue Book.