One of the lesser-known examples of collectible Fox-body Mustang is what’s called the “Feature” cars, a limited run of models with monochromatic paint schemes that consisted of two batches of cars: Vibrant White and Canary Yellow. There are some collectors out there who consider these cars to be sleepers in the collector marketplace right now, both for their limited edition qualities and because it was a final fling of sorts for the Fox-body ‘Stang. This white edition of the Feature model has just 21,000 miles and has been in storage, according to the seller, and is now up for grabs here on craigslist with an asking price of $17,000.
Now, I’m certainly no stranger to bashing limited edition models dubbed “limited” solely due to a few color choices and equipment offerings, but I like this combination of cosmetic and equipment upgrades. From a performance standpoint, these were equipped just like any other 5.0L LX convertible, so you’re going to find stiffer springs or cold air intakes on this model, but at least the luggage rack was deleted in favor of an attractive rear spoiler. The paint scheme is a personal affair, but I dig the monochromatic look on iconic 80s cars, personally.
Ignore the license plates; this Feature edition Mustang now resides in Venice, Florida. The one downside to owning the Vibrant White edition is keeping that interior clean, which has to be a challenge if you actually use a car like this regularly. Of course, given the low mileage here, the owners up to this point have abstained from making it into a daily driver, and the interior condition reflects this. The Canary Yellow models may give you a break on the outside, but they actually come with the same white leather interior, so you’re not escaping any additional cleaning duties if you track one of those down.
The engine bay is nicely detailed, with no signs of abuse or modifications. The seller doesn’t provide any info about routine servicing, which is still advisable even on a car with low miles. The photos show a few cosmetic flaws here and there, but nothing significant; more alarming is the hood bra shown in one photo, as those can cause more harm than good if not removed periodically. Personally, I’d love to find a Canary Yellow example, but I can’t recall the last time I saw one of those. Do any of you know of a Feature edition Fox-body hiding out in your neighborhood?
To answer your question Jeff, here’s one I saw a few weeks ago doing daily driver duty. It wasn’t rusty but obviously needs a new top, and the interior was trashed.
To expand on your discussion, the 1993 Feature Cars in yellow were also available with black tops/ black interiors. There also are feature car 1992 and 1990 models, all convertibles. I agree, these are well-done eye-catching Fox Bodies which are somewhat underappreciated, in my opinion.
Neither the ad nor this article mentions it, but a close inspection of the window sticker shows this car has an automatic transmission. I’ve owned both 5-speed and automatic 5.0s, and they are dramatically different in character. The 5-speed encourages lively driving. The automatic is focused on fuel economy and works against lively driving. The white-on-white-on-white feature car is one of my favorite fox bodies, but it’s a hard pass without the 5-speed.
I can’t second that comment from CCFisher more. Having worked at a Ford Dealership the automatics were consistent and we didn’t have very many transmission problems but the power drain caused the car to not be nearly as responsive as the 5 speeds. I actually greatly enjoyed the feel of the 5 speeds…they kind of felt like the dropped into each gear though I remember them being a little sticky downshifting.
At an intersection, the 5.0/automatic would have you in overdrive before you crossed to the other side. Worse, they were very stingy with downshifts. Once you managed to apply enough throttle to coax the transmission down a gear, the car would rocket forward, forcing you to lift off the throttle. This, of course, would cause the transmission to shift back into overdrive with a jolt and a bang. It was maddening!
My friend has a Yellow one, with Black top and Interior in Portland.
Ford also produced a Vibrant Red version in 1992. Always liked that color, as it had an almost orange look to it.
I recall the local Ford Dealer near Pittsburgh, PA at the time of these models/editions had one of each parked on the “grassy area” near the Ford sign at the dealership…one Red, one Yellow, one White. I remember appreciating that they did not have all the “skirting” of the other “5.0’s” that were popular at the time.
There is another limited edition Mustang, I don’t know if it is part of this series or not. Those cars are a dark green with white top and interior and are often called the 7-UP edition.
I have owned 2 Mustangs now, have driven several from the 60s when they were fairly new…all types of factory available engines and manual and automatic transmissions. I have also driven a few late model Mustangs, all with 6 cylinder engines and automatic transmissions. And in addition, my daily driver is a P71 Crown Victoria.
I was adamant that I would not own a car with an automatic transmission as long as I had 2 legs. But here comes the points I need to make: driven casually, the 4 speed automatic Crown Victoria likes to hold on to 3rd unless you give it a fair amount of gas. The 5 speed automatic transmission 06 Mustang shifts smoothly and I would have to keep my eyes on the tach almost constantly to detect any gear changes.
BTW, Ford is being threatened with a class action lawsuit by late model Mustang owners. But unlike the poor owners of Fiestas and Fusions, owners of Mustangs with MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS are the ones complaining.
The 7up edition was built in 1990. In reality, it was the first of the feature cars and with the white interior, it really stood out.
The automatic is an absolute deal breaker. I just could never image ticking that box on any form for any car, unless you don’t have full use of your limbs.
The difference for any performance or sports car is so dramatic (in feel and fun if not numbers) that if someone offered me one of my dream cars at an incredible price, but saddled with an auto box, I’d have to figure in the cost and pain of a manual conversion or simply pass.
“Limited” as in limited to the number of people ordering the “limited” vehicle 😝
Limited, as in limited to the number of people who ordered the limited edition 😝
In 2010 I found a 2001 Mustang GT convertable for $8300 . It had an automatic trans, which I didn’t like but the car was in great shape so I bought it .The car was a dog , 15.2 quarter mile time .I put a 3.73 gear and a vortec super charger .The car perked up and ran 12.60’s all day long for 8 years. It turned out to be my favorite car a great sleeper with an automatic !
Idaho or Florida,