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One Owner: 1988 Ford Mustang ASC/McLaren

With a production schedule of 4-years, and a total of around 1,800 cars built, the ASC/McLaren Mustang is a relatively rare car that has developed a bit of a following. This particular car is a one owner vehicle, and that owner has made the difficult decision that the time has come to part with their baby. Barn Finder Pat L referred the Mustang to us, so thank you so much for that Pat. The Mustang is located in Woodside, California, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. The asking price for this classic has been set at $7,500.

The overall style and shape of the Fox-body Mustang really lends itself well to being transformed into a convertible. The process was quite a complicated one, and that explains why these were an expensive car when new. A Mustang LX went down the Ford line, usually finished in either Silver or Black. It was then sent as a complete car to ASC where not only was the top removed, but reinforced rockers were fitted to return some rigidity to the car. The windshield was also laid back by around 20 degrees, which necessitated the production of custom door glass to fit this new angle. Once this process was complete, the car was repainted, but not necessarily in its original color. There was quite a variety of shades to choose from, and it’s quite common for the paint code on the door sticker on an ASC/McLaren to not match the actual color of the car. The same is the case under the hood, which usually remained painted in the original color. The soft-top and mechanism were then fitted, and hey presto, you had a convertible. The owner describes the external condition of the car as pristine, and it is quite hard to dispute that claim. The black paint has a great shine and depth to it, the ASC/McLaren-specific skirts and spoiler look free of cracks, and the original alloy wheels appear to be free of curb strikes and stains.

The Mustang started life as an LX model, but the interior received some upgrades beyond those that were provided by Ford. In addition to factory power for the seats, windows, mirrors, and locks, ASC added their own touches. During the conversion process, the entire interior was removed from each car. Normally, the front seats were given additional bolsters and were then finished in embossed leather. Of course, you could always tick the option box for the Recaro buckets. It looks like this person did choose to do this, which is quite unusual. The reason for this was that these would set you back an additional $1,500, so very few people ticked the box. The rear seat was removed, and it was never to return. Instead, that space was used in part for storage space for occupant possessions, but also for the storage of the soft-top under its own cover. The tan leather trim in this car looks quite good for a car of this age, with only a few minor wear spots on the seats. I think that these could be restored okay. The car originally came with a 6-disc CD stacker, and this has been augmented by an aftermarket JVC stereo fitted to the dash. In addition to all of the other factory options, this was one of the cars that received factory air conditioning, which actually wasn’t a particularly common option on these cars.

The ASC/McLaren upgrades on the Mustang didn’t extend beyond the cosmetic, and everything under the skin was standard Ford fare. The 302ci HO V8 engine pumps out 225hp, and in this case, this is fed to the rear wheels by a T5 manual transmission. You also get power steering and power brakes with front discs and rear drums. The owner says that the car has no defects and that it passed its smog inspection earlier this year. The Mustang also has a genuine 60,000 miles on the clock. The owner holds a full service history for the car, and this verifies this fact.

When they were new, the ASC/McLaren Mustangs were not cheap cars, and the fact that this car features both air conditioning and the Recaro seats makes it one of the most highly optioned, and most expensive, cars that was produced. These fell out of favor very quickly following the end of production, and both the price and an economic downturn really hurt sales. They have started to become more sought after now, as is pretty typical across much of the Fox-body range. It isn’t unusual for a low mileage example to sell for around the $12,000 mark. If this really is as good as it looks, then it could represent a really good buy at the right time of year.

Comments

  1. Avatar Danger Dan

    Had one of these, looks like a LeBaron. Couldn’t sell it for the life of me.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar wuzjeepnowsaab

    Given the direction of the Fox body Mustang values, this one seems pretty doggone cheap. Low miles, rare edition, drop top…checks all the boxes

    Like 2
  3. Avatar Tom Member

    Wow, price is way low. By the looks of the BMW and BENZ in the background I guess money is not the issue. Great car and for the money especially an original owner an unmolested. Very rare. Unfortunately I will never own another black car or I would buy it right now.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Maestro1

    Very sexy cars, sort of an unloved by product from Ford, not much in the used car market. I’d buy it if I had the room because it is unique, no question. I also promised myself no more standard trans because I live on the Left Coast where there’s too much congestion. No more rowing through the gears. Someone buy this and enjoy it.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar TimM

    Seems like a good buy for someone

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Mike leyshon

    Yes, very tough to fault the price. I own multiple fox bodies and check prices regularly. Seems like one that a fool would ask 15k for.

    Rare because Ford was offering essentially the same car for thousands less at the time, including a rear seat and glass window. I believe the 81-86 McClaren Capri is the most desired.

    Really could see this one being “flipped” in the near future…

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Miguel

    It is nice to see an original California car with it’s original plate still present.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Ck

    Hey I might be interested how could I get ahold of you to talk more about the car?

    Like 0

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