As 1993 dawned, the Fox Body Mustang, as we knew it, was getting long in the tooth. After emerging on the scene in 1979 as a sort of return to yesterday, it had about run its course by ’93 and it was time for an update. To add to the urgency, cross-town rival Chevrolet brought a new Camaro to market for the ’93 model year and Ford felt the need to let Mustang enthusiasts know that they weren’t going to be abandoned. Enter the 1993 Cobra! And this was more than badges, fairings, spoilers or other gee-gaws, it was a real-deal performance upgrade. Here for your review is one of 4,993 SVT Cobra Mustangs from ’93, and probably only one of one with just 6K miles on its odometer. Located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, it is available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $42,500.

The ’93 Cobra was a hatchback coupe body style only, no notchback or convertible needed to apply for the job. To help with uniqueness, only three colors were allowed, Vibrant Red, Black and Teal. Of note are the Cobra only taillight lenses. They are unique in that the regular Mustang LX and GT did not employ them in ’93 but they were a replay from the ’85 and ’86 standard Mustang version.

There’s not a lot that you can say about a 6K mile Cobra other than it is, for all intents and purposes, like new and perfect. And this Florida example will not disappoint! The finish, wheels, glass, tires, spoiler and ground effects are completely unblemished. Original 17″ Goodyear Gatorback tires? In place. Body panels? Razor straight, they actually show better than many standard production Mustangs from the ’87-93 era. Even though this beautiful Cobra has seen a few owners, how in the world one buys a hotrod like this and does not run the wheels off of it, I’ll never know. It is an extreme example of self-restraint but that’s the case here! Garaged and stored properly are the watch-words for this Mustang.

And all that goodness isn’t just topside either, get a load at underneath. I bought a brand new 5.0-liter Mustang LX convertible in ’92 and I don’t think the underside of mine was ever this clean and tidy. Every component is exactly as it should be.

The heart of the Cobra is Ford’s magnificent 5.0-liter V8 engine. Whereas the standard Mustang 5.0 motor for ’93 carried a 205 net HP rating, the Cobra’s powerplant was ginned up with GT-40 heads helping to produce a stout 235 net HP. And all of this was done with a very gas pump friendly 9.0:1 compression ratio. So, how does it perform? Stock performance tests from 1993 clocked a 14.5-second dash through the quarter-mile with a trap speed of 98 MPH. That was some serious cookin’ in 1993 and pretty respectable for a late ’60s/early ’70s muscle car. Truth be told, this example is not totally stock and has even more to offer. The seller advises the following modifications have been added: Electric fan, mild cam, polished intake, bbl cold air intake, valve covers, spark plug wires, polished wheels, ford racing headers, Flowmaster exhaust, and Lakewood hood. He further advises that a return to completely stock form is possible if that’s what the new owner desires. As far as driving attitude, the seller assures prospective buyers that this Mustang has a beautiful sound to it and drives 100%. As is the case with all Cobras, a five-speed manual, T-5 transmission gets the power to the rear wheels.

Inside is as spectacular as outside. The seats are covered in supple, gray leather with either matching or contrasting dash, carpet and door cards. This is how the interior of a ’93 Mustang looked once the protective plastic was initially removed. There is not a thing out of place or a single scuff mark to be found. The minimal seat time is evidenced by the seats themselves, neither appear to have ever encountered a bottom. Cars can always be identified to some degree by styling cues of their era. The Mustang and Cobra are no exception, the dashboard is a study in late ’80s/early ’90s angularity, I loved the one in my LX and this Cobra’s dash takes me back.

They are only new once and this Cobra is still that, 27 years after the fact. These are highly coveted performance cars and represent real ingenuity on the part of Ford Motor Company. Performance had flagged through the ’80s and early ’90s, nevertheless, the Special Vehicle Team found a way to stay relevant and pave the way for greater performance gains to be had in the coming decades. Much of Ford’s current performance progression can be laid at the feet of this Cobra and the efforts that went into making it a reality. Dig around, I bet you can find others but you won’t find one this nice with such low mileage, interested?