The did try for a 25th . . . https://themustangsource.com/fast-fo...1-killer-8960/

 

I enjoyed the Probe, but I'm glad it didn't replace the Mustang. Smoking the front tires (unless it's AWD) just seems wrong.

 

I had a friend who owned a '89 GT that was stock except for exhaust and underdrive pulleys. He had it painted at Ford's expense when the torque of the stock 302 was causing enough flex to crack the paint around the rear hatch opening. I can't imagine the Fox-body surviving long with that twin turbo.

 

I couldn't agree more David

 

I just finished reading the source links you provided and what I found very interesting was that 7-Up' decided to pull out of the promotion at the 11th hour when it was their idea to begin with

At any rate, Ford decided to move forward and bump up production from the original 30 units and produce 5000 Emerald Green 90' LX convertibles and designate them as 25th Anniversary edition models..

What I still don't understand however is.. How did these 25th Anniversary editions end up being included on all convertible and coupe/hatchback models including the GT ?

In addition color was no longer restricted to just Emerald Green as originally planned either.. Oh well, very confusing to say the very least

 

That brings up an old wound. First, they tease us with the gorgeous Forty-Nine Concept. For production, they actually deliver that ugly T-Bird built on the potential Forty-Nine platform. To add injury to ugly, they priced it in the stratosphere so nobody wanted one. IIRC, they built so many more T-Birds than they could sell, they had to re-VIN some as next year models.

Back then, the answer was simply to me.

1. Build the Forty-Nine.
2. Price it reasonably.
3. ??????
4. Profit

 

That reminds me of the ford intercepter concept. It was based on a stretched mustang platform. Just think if they went ahead and made it, Ford would have a true rwd platform just like gms alpha platform.

 

I really hate to disagree with you on this, but the 2002-2005 T-Bird was built on the DEW-98 platform which included the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-type..

On the other hand, perhaps the Forty-Nine Concept would've also been built on the DEW-98 platform, if Ford had brought this gorgeous car into production

 

And guess who stole the design from Ford ? Chrysler did for it's 300 that's still in production today !



Look familiar ???

 

Actually Chrysler stole the 49 concept idea of the slab side and small greenhouse design. The 300 came out in 03/04 after the 49 concept.

 

Wasn't the 49 concept a 2 door coupe ? I don't recall a 4 door sedan version ?

I'm not saying that your info is inaccurate, but seems to me the Ford Interceptor Concept and the current Chrysler 300 look awfully identical IMHO

 

No there wasnt a 4 door version but Chrysler stole the "idea" of the slab side and short greenhouse of the 49 concept and applied it to a 4 door.

 

Down here in south texas (corpus christi to be exact) ive seen 27 individual S550's. The way i can tell them apart individually is the lisence plates. If it doesnt look familiar then its new to my eyes. And of those 27 they follow in this order
1: 5.0 (13) (4 of which were 50th ann. Models)
2: Ecoboost (11)
3: V6 (3)

 

Yes ! Chrysler did indeed steal the "idea" and design from Ford's 49 concept and applied it to their 2005 - current 300 sedan.. Therefore I stand corrected as you were right all along..

In the meantime, I found this pic of the Forty-Nine Concept

 

That's what I'm talking about, Willis.

Isn't that the best looking thing...EVER. I see no reason it couldn't have been built on the DEW98 platform. I saw this one at the Detroit Auto Show. I saw the black Forty-Nine Concept up close and in person at Carlisle. I would have given them a deposit on the spot if they said it was going into production.

 

I totally agree ! Ford should had built this car on the DEW98 platform and into production.. As this car could've easily became the new Thunderbird or even as a modern/retro styled Galaxy 500

 

Two current sources, two different dates:

"Starting in mid-April and running through the late 1990 model year, Ford placed 25th anniversary, tri-bar pony badges on the passenger side dash of all LX and GT Mustangs."

"Ford's only gesture at a 25th Anniversary Mustang was small indeed: a passenger-side dashboard emblem with galloping-horse logo affixed to all models built between March 27, 1989, and the end of model-year 1990."

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/c...54&carID=13111

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/c...90&carID=13111

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1990-Ford-Mustang

..."the Emerald Green paint was drying on two of the new convertibles at the Dearborn assembly plant. It was December of 1989." and "Ford took the chloroformed 7-Up marketing effort and spun it into a sales stimulator of its own as the '90 Limited Edition Mustang convertible. Though Ford never really called this car a 25th Anniversary model, for better or worse, that's what it was. And that's the way enthusiasts treat this car today."

Ford, in dealer letters/info, did refer to it as the 25th Anniv. car.

This from here and keep in mind this a GT Registry but at least it's from 2001, post #14: http://www.mustanggt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=40988

"As for the running horse emblems on the dash... there isn't a clear cut-off date based on the door tag build date or VIN, either. It does appear *for the most part* that the dash emblems started being placed on the cars around mid-April '89. That being said, there are quite a few GT's in our database with April AND May '89 door tag build dates that *do not* have a 25th anniversary dash emblem. However, there were also six GT's with a *March '89* build date and a handful before March even that *DO* have the emblem on the dash. Again, keep in mind our comments from above about the build dates and VIN's."

There's no mention on how many of those GT's were original owner cars or not, but the fact that some did and some didn't before and after April plays into what I recall about Ford sending out dash emblems to cars produced without them.

When Ford went and decided to badge all cars 25th's it really screwed things up.

A big thing to keep in mind is that the '89 Probe was supposed to replace the 'Stang up until there was a big letter writing campaign against that move. So Ford in all reality never planned on an '89 let alone an anniv. car. Once that changed, plus starting the Probe up a real 25th got lost, forgot, didn't have the budget for or fill in the blank excuse. They had what was supposed to be a special edition car(honestly I don't recall the 7-Up promo) that they decided to make the 25th that is now said to not be THE official 25th.

I've always considered it to be the 25th because of my time in the dealership at that time and my recollection of what happened. Hind site being what it is I wish I would have thought to keep any doc's to support things. It was the '80's and there were more questions/doubt as to whether that generation would have ANY collectibilty down the road. The GT had out been back ~8yrs at that point and most people that I knew didn't consider it on the same level as the original at that time.

Out of curiosity I would like to see production/ship dates for the drop tops.

 

That Forty Nine was SWEET and I most definitely agree Ford should have produced it even if in limited #'s.

It's hard to believe this car is already 14yrs old

I wonder if Ford destroyed these 2 or if they're still around?

Here's a couple more pics:






Drop top

 

When I look at the Forty Nine and it's relationship to the original and the '15 "Stang it sure looks like the talent has left the design studio at Ford.

 

It's easy to designs car that doesn't have to meet crash restrictions or having to hit a certain price point or fuel economy.