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Changed Plans: 1990 Ford Mustang “7-Up Edition”

So, just imagine that you’re a car manufacturer, and you sign a deal with a company to build 30 cars for a giveaway competition. You have only built 2 of the cars when the contest falls over. What do you do? Why you build another 4,101 cars and sell them as a special edition. That is basically the story behind the 1990 Mustang LX Limited Edition, a car that has also become known as the 7-Up Edition. This particular Mustang is located in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and is listed for sale here at Hemmings. The owner has set a sale price of $10,990 for the Mustang but does appear to be negotiable on this figure.

The timing of the collapse of the 7-Up promotional competition proved to be a fortuitous one for Ford. The company had been coming under increasing pressure to release a 25th Anniversary edition of the Mustang, but aside from the idea of sticking some commemorative badges on a few cars, they had nothing in the pipeline. The development work was complete on the 7-Up cars, and when it all fell over, Ford made the decision to release the cars as a Limited Edition, although it was never classed as an actual, official, 25th Anniversary car. The original intention had been to build 5,000 cars, but production eventually stopped at 4,103. What you received in the way of cosmetic features on a Limited Edition was a Mustang Convertible finished in distinctive Emerald Green Clearcoat Metallic. To this was added a white power convertible top, color-keyed body moldings and exterior mirrors, and 15″ GT aluminum wheels. This particular car looks to be in fairly good condition. the owner notes some small spots on the hood which may have been caused by tree sap or droppings but feels that these may polish out. The soft-top looks to be in good condition, while the aluminum wheels seem to be free of pitting or curb strike damage.

The interior of the Limited Edition is a symphony in white, with leather upholstery on the seats, white vinyl trims on the doors, and white plastic trim in other areas. The leather, especially on the front seats, is beginning to show its age a bit, but I really do think that someone with experience could bring them back to life with a bit of the right type of conditioner and some hard work. The rest of the white vinyl looks quite good, and there are only a few pieces of white plastic that are showing any signs of discoloring. The door pockets are starting to sag a bit, but I think that it would be possible to restore these without having to resort to replacement. In addition to items like the leather-wrapped wheel, power door mirrors, power windows, and power locks, the 7-Up package also brought a premium sound system, cruise control, and air conditioning to the Mustang.

There are no engine photos with the listing, but we know that the car is equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 engine and that this produces 225hp. Of the 4,103 Limited Edition cars built, 2,743 featured the 4-speed automatic transmission, while the remaining 1,360 were fitted with the T5 manual transmission. This car features the former, along with power steering, power brakes, a Traction-Lock rear end, and upgraded suspension components such as struts and shocks. The owner says that the car runs and drives nicely and that it feels really tight. The listing details indicate that the car has covered 54,000 miles, but the owner doesn’t actually mention anything about the mileage in the listing text.

While there were 4,103 cars originally produced, as of today, the Mustang Limited Edition Registry can only confirm that 305 cars actually exist. Of course, there are sure to be cars out there that haven’t been logged with the Registry, as I can’t help but feel that this number is very low. Values for the Limited Edition have stayed fairly static in recent years, but the price for this one is definitely in the ball-park for a car in better than average condition. You can find a few examples that are out in the market with significantly lower mileage than this one, but you have to be prepared to bite the bullet and shell out around three times the asking price of this car. This one is a nice example that could be used on a daily basis, so I’d save that extra money and put this one in my driveway.

Comments

  1. Avatar JustTheCaptain

    The 8-bit guy has a method for returning discolored plastic to its original hue using hydrogen peroxide.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jon Hellinga

      It only lasts so long though… but it does work wonders.

      Like 0
  2. Avatar AndyinMA

    I might prefer the stick but still like this car a lot. Wish the kids would hurry up and finish college.

    Like 7
  3. Avatar JimmyJ

    I owned the exact car and i will never buy another car with white interior
    Its impossible to keep clean!
    Fun car though

    Like 1
  4. Avatar Bluetec320 Member

    “Crisp and Clean, and No Caffeine”

    Like 4
    • Avatar Ken

      “Never had it, never will!” — 1982 ad campaign

      Not all 7up bottles were green. Houston, Texas, 1940

      Like 4
  5. Avatar ed the welder

    paid 8k for mine back in ’96…sticker was 25.5 (!) new. it had 66k on it…Fantastic car but the leather is extremely cheap and didn’ t wear well…kept it ’til 07 when I sold it to buy an engagement ring…We’ll be married 10 years next week…

    Like 10
  6. Avatar John

    Whats the link to the soda?

    Like 2
    • Avatar Mike_B_SVT

      7-Up was going to have some sort of contest and give away the mustangs. They wanted them to reflect the green bottle and clear soda, thus the emerald green paint and white interior.
      Something changed and 7-Up cancelled the contest, but Ford went ahead and built the cars anyhow. And now they are forever known as “7-Up Mustangs”.

      Like 0
  7. Avatar John

    I had one with a 5-speed manual. Bought it in 1997 for 8k and sold it in 2007 due to needing repairs to my house I just purchased at the time. I recently located the car which was up for sale on Facebook for $8,500. After contacting the seller I confirmed it was my old car. Unfortunately I could not buy it back and it did sell but not sure where it went. It was a fun car to drive, lots of bottom end torque but rode very stiff and rough like an old truck.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar PRA4SNW

    I really like the color combo of these. I would prefer a manual, but would take an auto if it were in the right condition.

    I had a ’99 Z/28 that came from the factory with white seats, for some reason, so I’m aware of the wear and the dirt that they show, but they really give the car a unique look.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar EJB

    I remember seeing these on the showroom floor in 1990 when my then girlfriend was shopping for an escort. I just sat and stared at it on the showroom floor. The emerald green paint with the white top and interior just did it for me.

    I’m sure there was a trail of drool coming from my lips.

    In 95′ I was able to buy one of the 1360 standards. At the time, I was a 25 year old kid who barely knew how to drive a stick. I didn’t even test drive the car I just bought it (never done that before or since). That’s how hard I lusted after that car. I owned the car for 10 years and then sold it to a friend who owned it for another 10 yrs.

    My favorite car I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning.

    side note: I still own the 03′ GT convertible I bought to replace it.

    Like 1
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      The same thing just happened to me, except it was my wife buying a Flex and me drooling over the Highland Green Bullitt sitting in the showroom.

      And, I also bought a manual without knowing how to drive it yet. In my case, it was a ’70 Corvette Convertible.

      Like 1

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