While most generations of the Mustang have carried at least a few styling cues from the original vehicles, the Fox-Body cars provide a breath of fresh air. No matter where you look, there is little trace of traditional Mustang heritage as Ford approached vehicle development to produce a Mustang with a more modern and contemporary feel. Often, this would tarnish an excellent reputation. But the Fox-Body Mustangs have developed a strong following in the classic market as buyers seek vehicles that offer respectable performance with a touch of practicality. This 1989 Mustang GT embodies that approach, and it is a low-mileage survivor in excellent condition. The owner has decided to part with this attractive classic, so he has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. It is located in Spokane, Washington, and it could be yours by handing the seller $20,000. The owner may also entertain trades for the right vehicle. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Matt H for spotting this gem for us.

The owner claims that this Scarlet Red Mustang has a genuine 45,000 miles on the clock, and while he doesn’t indicate whether he holds verifying evidence, its overall condition would tend to support the claim. The paint shines beautifully, with no marks or chips worth noting. The leading edge of the hood and the front bumper can be prone to damage from flying stones. However, those areas on this car look remarkably clean. The panels are straight and true, while the gaps are tight and consistent. The owner doesn’t mention any rust issues, and the car looks clean in the supplied photos. The Mustang sports all of its original plastic aero additions that were an integral part of the GT package. Once again, the condition appears to be flawless, right down to the integrated foglights. The 15″ alloy wheels show no evidence of stains or physical damage, and this car also features the desirable sunroof option.

After more than a decade of automotive misery that was the hallmark of The Malaise Era, American manufacturers had begun to learn how to recapture lost performance from their traditional V8 motors by the time this Mustang rolled off the production line. With a focus on more efficient engine breathing and the adoption of fuel injection and electronic engine management systems, some of the sector’s past glories were beginning to be rediscovered. This 1989 GT graphically demonstrates the strides that Ford had made. The engine bay is occupied by the 5.0-liter “HO” V8 that produced a health 225hp in its prime. This car also features a 5-speed manual transmission, a Traction-Lok rear end, power steering, and power front disc brakes. This package allowed the GT to gallop through the ¼ mile in 15 seconds, and while that might not seem particularly fast by today’s standards, it represented a quantum leap forward for the Mustang. When the Fox-Body first appeared in Ford showrooms in 1979, the best that the company could squeeze from its 5.0-liter V8 was 140hp, and its ¼-mile ET was nearly 17 seconds. Ongoing developments were reaping performance rewards for manufacturers, and our feature car graphically demonstrates this. The owner claims that the vehicle has a genuine 45,000 miles showing on its odometer, but it isn’t clear whether he holds evidence to verify this. He also doesn’t provide any information on how well this GT runs or drives, but the news should be pretty positive if appearances count for anything.

If Fox-Body Mustangs had a weakness, interior trim and upholstery could be prone to damage, wear, and deterioration as the vehicles accrued some years under their belts. This car has suffered none of those issues, with the Medium Gray cloth trim on the seats looking particularly good. The outer edges of the front buckets were a common problem area, but these look free from visible wear. The same seems true of the pale gray carpet, while the dash and plastic components also appear excellent. Overall, the impression that this interior provides is that this classic has been treated with respect since new. I also like that nobody had seen fit to install any aftermarket accessories, with the interior remaining as it did when the car was new. Comfort features extend to air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power exterior mirrors, cruise control, a tilt wheel, and a premium stereo that includes an AM/FM radio and cassette player.

For some enthusiasts, 1st Generation Mustang values have reached the point where they are getting too expensive to consider a viable classic buy. Many of those people will pass on the Mustang II for various reasons, which leads them to the Fox-Body variants. During the early years of this century, enthusiasts tended to ignore the Fox-Body, but that situation has changed dramatically. In the last ten years, values across the board have nearly tripled as enthusiasts have recognized what these cars have to offer. It is also worth noting that if this trend continues, it won’t be many years before these move beyond the reach of the average punter. Does that thought make you feel like investigating this one further?