Arguably, the Ford Mustang is one of the most popular collector cars. The first Mustang goes back to April 1964 with the introduction of the 1964.5/1965 Mustang. (Note: there was no official 1964.5 Mustang. The first Mustangs produced in 1964 were 1965 models but differed in some minor ways from the later built 1965 cars.) Since that time there have been six different generations of Mustangs. Some have been far more popular than others and some had very long build periods with considerable changes during their build run. Everyone seems to have their favorite. Outside of the original generation, the Fox Body Mustang (generation 3) built from 1979 through 1993 seems to be the most popular. Although these are not currently seen on the street as often as they were just a few years ago their values seem to be increasing. Some of the unmodified Fox Body cars with extremely low mileage are selling for prices over $100,000. Don’t be turned off by this because there are still many modified yet solid examples available for under $10,000 as of this writing.
I have owned a number of Mustangs including first generation and third generation. These include coupes, convertibles, and fastbacks. I recently sold a 67 fastback I had owned for over 30 years. I still think that is the best looking Mustang ever. I would love to own a new 2024 GT but it doesn’t fit with our current collection. However, we recently added a 1990 Mustang to the collection.
My wife and I decided we would like to add a good driver late 80s or early 90s collector car to our collection. We wanted something that we believe will grow in both popularity and value but yet still be driveable without destroying its value. After considerable discussion and research, we agreed a Fox Body Mustang was what we wanted. Cobra versions were our first choice but the values of those cars have gone through the roof for an exceptional example. After considering and looking at some GT fastbacks, we went in an entirely different direction. The LX versions have the same drivetrain but are lighter without all the add on body panels. We like to collect things that are a little different so we started looking for special editions.
I had some recollection in the back of my mind about a special edition 7-Up Mustang. The only thing I could remember was they were all a special green color. As we did our homework we learned that they were only built in 1990 with only 4,103 built, all were convertibles!
We all know there have been a lot of special editions, pace cars, and anniversary Mustangs built over the years. But, a 7-Up Edition? Why would Ford want to build a 7-Up Mustang? It is likely one of the more bizarre stories. There are still a lot of details that are unknown details about the reason for its build. What we think is the story goes something like this. The 7-Up soft drink company had the idea to give away 30 special Mustangs at the 1990 NCAA basketball finals. They planned to give them away to anyone who could sink a ball from center court. Make a basket, and you could drive home one in a very rare and cool Mustang convertible.
I have not found a conclusive reason for the program not going forward but here is one. It was rumored that the 7-Up company wanted an exclusive on the special “7-Up green” color that was similar to the green found on their cans of 7-Up. Ford felt the color was exceptional and wanted to use it on other cars if they wanted to. They felt the time and money invested to develop the color could not be recouped in 30 cars. At the last minute 7-Up canceled the production of their special Mustangs.
Additionally, 1990 was the 25th Anniversary of the Mustang. The rumor goes that Ford had not yet produced a special 25th Anniversary Mustang to celebrate. Although only two of the planned thirty cars for 7-Up had been produced, Ford decided to rebrand the cars, increase production to 5,000 units, and offer them as a special edition and unofficial commemoration for the car’s 25th anniversary. So, today, without any official designation these “7-Up green” convertible Mustangs became known as the 25th Anniversary 7-Up edition!
7-UP MUSTANG SPECS
All 7-Up Mustangs were LX convertibles equipped with the famous 5.0 HO V8 engine which produced 225 horsepower. Ford’s special Deep Emerald Green clearcoat metallic paint was used on each car. A beautiful contrasting white leather interior and a white convertible top made them extremely attractive. The front fascia, outside mirrors, and body side moldings were painted to match the green exterior. Every 7-Up edition Mustang also got the GT’s 15-inch aluminum rims and a special-value package consisting of cruise control, A/C, and a premium sound system with AM/FM radio and a cassette player. The retail price for this package was $19,878. Production included 2,743 automatic cars and 1,360 Manual transmission cars.
Our 7-Up Mustang
We were able to locate a two owner 41,000 original mile automatic in Arizona. The car is rust free, unmolested, and in excellent condition. Our goal is to not restore it, but rather keep it as a survivor and replace any none MOTORCRAFT parts we find on the car with the factory correct parts. It will be driven and enjoyed but at the same time, we do not plan to add more than 1,000 miles per year to the car. We also plan to show it competitively at a couple of National AACA (Antique Auto Cub of Amerca) shows and get it certified as an unrestored original. We will give you updates on the car as we continue to document its history.
FORD MUSTANG U.S. SALES BY GENERATION
| Mustang Generation | Model Years | Total U.S. Sales |
|---|---|---|
| First Generation | 1964.5-1973 | 2,981,259 |
| Second Generation (Mustang II) | 1974-1978 | 1,107,718 |
| Third Generation (Fox Body) | 1979-1993 | 2,608,812 |
| Fourth Generation (SN95) | 1994-2004 | 1,562,529 |
| Fifth Generation (S197) | 2005-2014 | 1,006,975 |
| Sixth Generation (S550) | 2015-Present | 519,568 (2015-2020) |
