Since the first Mustang rolled off the production line in 1964, Ford has produced many special edition vehicles. The 1990 Mustang Limited Edition was never one that was meant to find its way into production. Developed initially as a promotional tool for a basketball competition that was sponsored by 7UP, the scheme collapsed at the last minute. Ford then chose to recoup the development costs by introducing the car as the Limited Edition. This is one of those cars, and it appears to be in above-average condition. It is located in Carmel, Indiana, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set the sale price for the Mustang at $8,500. A big thank you has to go out to Barn Finder Roger for spotting the Convertible for us.

The story behind the 7UP Mustang is shrouded in mystery. The original plan was to produce a total of 30 cars. These were going to be used as prizes in an NCAA basketball center court promotion. Contestants would attempt to sink a basket from center court. If they succeeded, then they drove home that night in a shiny new Mustang Convertible. Ford developed the cars with unique Emerald Green Metallic Clearcoat paint. Also, the vehicles were to be equipped with a white power convertible top, color-keyed exterior trim, 15″ wheels, and a white leather interior. Two of these cars had been produced before the promotion was canceled, and rather than tear-up the money involved in developing the vehicle, Ford chose to build 5,000 vehicles as a Limited Edition. However, even this scheme didn’t go to plan. Eventually, only 4,103 cars rolled off the production line. This is one of those cars, and it does appear to be a clean survivor. The paint maintains a healthy shine, and the original white convertible top looks to be in good condition. The panels are straight and have tight and consistent gaps. The alloy wheels appear to be free from damage or staining, while there are no apparent problems with the glass.

If you were the type of person who didn’t like white interior trim, then this was a Mustang that was not going to appeal to you. The seats are upholstered in white leather, while there were also acres of white vinyl and plastic. Generally speaking, the interior of this Mustang presents well, with the white upholstery not showing any significant signs of yellowing. A few of the plastic trim pieces are discolored, but there are no signs of any rips, tears, or broken components. The front seats have avoided any significant edge wear, although there is some wrinkling present. The interior remains original, with no signs of any aftermarket additions. The car comes equipped with a leather-wrapped wheel, air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power front seats, power mirrors, cruise, and an AM/FM radio/cassette player.

Buyers of a new “7UP” Mustang only faced a single mechanical decision in 1990. The car could be ordered equipped with either a 5-speed T5 manual transmission or the AOD 4-speed automatic. The manual-equipped cars are the rarer vehicles, with only 1,360 buyers choosing this option. The remaining 2,743 buyers plumped for the automatic. This is one of those automatic vehicles, which also comes equipped with a 5.0-liter V8, power steering, and power brakes. This engine pumps out 225hp, which is enough to propel the Convertible through the ¼ mile in 15.5 seconds. The owner has recently replaced the timing chain, water pump, oil pan gasket, and the radiator. He states that the Mustang drives perfectly, with no issues to report.

Advertising history is full of schemes that must have seemed like a good idea at the time. The 7UP promotion would undoubtedly fit in there somewhere, and I’m sure that there were people who were disappointed that it never came to fruition. However, their loss was the motoring public’s gain. Its failure meant that buyers could purchase a car that was not initially intended for full production. It isn’t clear just how many of the original 4,103 vehicles remain in existence today, but the official Mustang Limited Edition Registry can only account for around 305 cars. I tend to think that this number is not accurate because it does seem to be extraordinarily low. They remain a relatively rare vehicle, and it isn’t unusual to see pristine examples sell for three times the asking price for this car. It might not be perfect, but if it stands up to personal inspection, it has the potential to be a bargain buy.